Travellers Face Some Flight Delays due to Fog at UK Airports

Data from FlightAware reveals that Gatwick recorded 250 delays on Saturday, with Heathrow reporting 207 and Stansted 31. All three airports have also reported cancellations as the adverse weather conditions persist.

Forty flights were cancelled out of Heathrow alone, while Gatwick had at least 26 cancellations and passengers endured waits of up to nine hours.

Further delays are expected on Sunday due to the poor weather conditions.

The further fog comes after hundreds of passengers were delayed on Friday due to the conditions, some waiting an extra three hours for their flights.

In some areas, thick fog patches could reduce visibility down to just 100 metres overnight and into Saturday, the Met Office said. “Another dull and cloudy day is expected, with widespread mist and fog slow to clear, possibly lingering across the region throughout the day,” a statement said for Saturday for London area.

A spokesperson for the Gatwick said: “Temporary air traffic restrictions have been put in place due to fog causing poor visibility

Some flights may be delayed throughout the day. London Gatwick apologises for any inconvenience. Passengers should contact their airline for further information.”

The national weather service has not yet issued warnings for fog but said it will monitor the situation overnight.

“It’s that time of year when people are travelling around the country a lot and there are a lot of people on the roads,” Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick told the PA news agency.

“There is a lot of fog covering much of England, mainly the South East and central England, but the rest of the country is seeing quite a bit of thick fog too.

“It will be pretty murky on Saturday morning and there will still be fog patches that will take a little longer to clear.”

The murky conditions of late are less likely to return in the last couple of days of the year but people should not hold out hope for much winter sunshine.