‘It’s all gone Pete Tong at Heathrow’, thick fog sparks mayhem at London airport

Chaos: Passengers stuck in queues at Heathrow airport
Katie Tarrant
Jamie Bullen|Hatty Collier30 December 2016

Airline passengers told of chaotic scenes at Britain's busiest airport as the latest bout of thick fog blanketed the capital.

Hundreds of people were left stranded at Heathrow as passengers were forced to rebook flights because planes were grounded.

Pictures shared on social media showed massive queues in the terminals which were described as "ridiculous" by some irate travellers.

More than 100 flights were cancelled at the airport on Friday with disruption also felt at Gatwick and London City Airport.

A Heathrow spokesman said more staff had been drafted into the airport in response to the volume of passengers

The fresh chaos came as fog descended on London for a third straight day.

One woman, who posted a picture of the queues, said: “It's all gone Pete Tong at Heathrow Airport today. This is half the line to rebook on British Airways.”

Another described the lines as “ridiculous”.

Dozens of flights were also cancelled at London City Airport while disruption was also reported at Gatwick and Manchester.

British Airways said it was working with other airlines to reduce delays and place passengers on alternative flights.

A spokeswoman said: “We are sorry that some of our customers' travel plans are being affected and are advising them to keep checking ba.com for the latest information about their flight.

“Along with other airlines operating from London airports we are currently experiencing delays and some cancellations due to thick fog. At Heathrow the weather conditions have led Air Traffic Control to reduce the number of aircraft that can land each hour for safety reasons.

“We are refunding or rebooking any affected customers onto alternative flights so they can continue their journeys as soon as possible.”

The Met Office said "freezing fog" had settled in patches of the country and poor visibility could persist into Friday afternoon.

Met meteorologist Emma Sillitoe said: "The main thing we have had is large, dense freezing fog patches.

"People driving around in the morning should take care on the roads."

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