Big freeze causes holiday travel havoc in Europe

LONDON – Snow and freezing temperatures continued to cause holiday travel chaos for road, rail and air passengers in Britain and much of Europe yesterday, raising fears that many will not get home in time for Christmas.

Airlines said that Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, was the worst hit by the poor weather – with only a limited number of flights to arrive and depart. Hundreds of passengers camped overnight in terminal buildings after services were cancelled or delayed.British Airways said all short-haul flights from Heathrow would be cancelled yesterday.Eurostar reported that its trains linking England to France and Belgium were also severely delayed or cancelled and urged travellers to cancel or postpone their trips if possible. Lines of delayed passengers snaked outside the St. Pancras rail station in central London.Criticism of the situation at London’s Heathrow and other airports prompted British officials to promise an investigation.In Germany flight operations were slowed even though Frankfurt airport, Germany’s biggest, was clear of snow and ice. Officials cancelled about 300 flights there yesterday, out of a planned total of 1 340, because of problems elsewhere in Europe, airport operator Fraport said.French civil aviation authorities, meanwhile, asked airlines to reduce their flights at the two main Paris airports by 30 per cent.French aviation spokesman Eric Heraud said these reductions take into account the problems at other European airports that may be destinations for flights from Charles de Gaulle or Orly airports in Paris.More snow was forecast in some areas of Britain for yesterday afternoon.Icy conditions were also hampering travel across Europe, with flights canceled and delayed in multiple countries at the weekend.French Transport Minister Thierry Mariani said on France-Info radio that it is ‘unacceptable’ that some 3 000 people were blocked at Charles de Gaulle airport over the weekend and called a meeting this week of airlines to find ways to improve communication with passengers.The minister, explaining multiple delays around Europe, said that when a runway is closed for an hour the lost time cannot be reclaimed. ‘For each hour lost, it is some 70 to 80 flights that you can’t recover during the day,’ he said.Authorities in parts of western Germany banned trucks weighing more than 7.5 tons from highways as a safety measure.Motoring organisations have warned of potentially fatal conditions on Britain’s icy roads. – Nampa-AP