Fog Disrupting UK Flights

With Christmas less than a week away, freezing fog crept into London and parts of the U.K. Monday, causing holiday travel headaches.

Poor visibility forced dozens of flight cancellations and delays across the region that have persisted into Tuesday.

According to the Associated Press, Manchester Airport was essentially shut down for several hours Monday as fog forced officials to temporarily close one runway while another was shut down for maintenance. According to flight-tracking website FlightAware.com, Manchester reported 50 cancellations and 292 delays Monday.

Runway one has now re-opened following essential maintenance work and operations have resumed. As a result of the closure, there will be ongoing delays to clear the backlog of flights. Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight with their airline.

- Manchester Airport (@manairport) December 18, 2017

Only 35 flights were canceled at London's Heathrow Airport Monday. However, nearly one-third of the airport's scheduled flights (415) were delayed.

Heathrow has reported 97 flight cancellations for Tuesday as of 4 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET). Another 159 flights have been delayed. A spokeswoman for the airport told the BBC that some cancellations would be "inevitable."

"As always, Heathrow's top priority is the safety of our passengers and we apologize to those whose travel may be impacted by the weather," she added, urging travelers to check their flight status prior to arriving at the airport.

At least 28 arriving flights have been delayed at nearby Gatwick Airport. The figure represents 7 percent of Tuesday's scheduled arrivals.

Fourteen percent of departures from London City Airport have experienced delays as of Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, Scotland's Edinburgh Airport has reported 11 cancellations and 25 delays.

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According to FlightAware.com, about 10 percent of British Airways' Tuesday flights have been delayed or cancelled.

We're sorry that freezing fog forecast for Tuesday, December 19 has caused us to cancel some short-haul flights.
Customers on short-haul flights which are operating may change their booking.
Please check https://t.co/HSDI93kwzp for the latest information.

- British Airways (@British_Airways) December 18, 2017

This week's unwelcome fog comes just one week after Winter Storm Caroline dumped several inches of snow across the U.K., snarling travel in the region.

Looking ahead, a one-day strike planned by some Ryanair pilots this week could potentially lead to further disruptions across Europe.

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