Heavy Winds and Fog Disrupt Thousands of Flights Across the UK
London — At the close of 2024, thousands of flights were delayed or canceled due to heavy winds and dense fog, leaving countless travelers stranded during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. As wintry weather looms this weekend, further disruptions are expected.
The delays have raised questions about why a relatively brief spell of bad weather can wreak havoc on flight schedules, despite advancements in aviation technology.
Passengers Endure ‘Grim’ Delays
Elif Arjin Celik was among the many passengers caught off guard when her flight from London Gatwick to Istanbul faced hours-long delays due to poor visibility on December 28.
With Gatwick operating at full capacity during its busiest Christmas period since the pandemic, the terminal was overwhelmed. “It was grim,” Celik told the BBC. “Queues were extreme—20 minutes just to use the toilet, fridges empty, and restaurants struggling to seat people.”
The fog-related disruptions persisted for three days, affecting tens of thousands of passengers at airports nationwide.
Why Weather Wreaks Havoc on Flights
Travel expert Simon Calder explains that while modern aircraft can safely operate in fog, airports face significant challenges. “Airports go into a kind of slow motion,” Calder says. “Instrument landing systems help planes land, but their beams must remain unobstructed, which can be problematic in dense fog.”
High winds compound the issue, requiring increased spacing between aircraft for safety, which significantly reduces airport capacity.
At Gatwick, planes typically take off or land every 65 seconds, while Heathrow operates on intervals as short as 80 seconds. Calder notes that increasing the spacing by 50% due to weather immediately reduces capacity by one-third, triggering delays and cancellations.
Technological Limits and Human Oversight
While airports like Heathrow have trialed artificial intelligence for low-visibility landings, aviation expert Scott Bateman MBE explains that ground controllers still need to visually confirm aircraft arrivals to issue landing clearance.
Even with modern planes capable of automatic landings, practical visibility limits are in place to ensure pilots can safely taxi off the runway.
A History of Snow-Related Disruptions
Looking ahead, snow is likely to cause additional problems for UK airports. Calder cites past incidents, including Heathrow’s near-paralysis in 2010 and Manchester Airport’s runway closures in December 2022 and January 2023, as examples of how severe winter weather can upend operations.
Despite increased investment in snow-clearing equipment and training, Calder notes that the UK is still less equipped to handle such events compared to countries like Iceland or Greenland. “Historically, the UK’s benign climate has made heavy investment in snow preparation difficult to justify,” he says.
Advice for Travelers
With snow warnings in effect, passengers are urged to prepare for potential delays and cancellations. Calder estimates that during the recent fog disruptions, around 75,000 passengers were affected, a figure that could rise if snow strikes major airports.
While British airports have made strides in improving efficiency, Calder advises travelers to remain patient and plan for potential delays in the face of unpredictable winter weather.
