Frustration continues for travellers heading to storm-battered Europe
Posted December 20, 2010 8:57 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – Anger is mounting in Europe over the continent’s inability to handle snow as holiday travel plans remain on hold for some travellers at Pearson International Airport due to snow storms in Europe.
Heathrow Airport in London, England, said it expects only limited arrivals and departures, Monday, with more snow in the forecast for the area and other parts of Europe.
There were some very disappointed travellers at Pearson’s Terminal 1, who showed up for the Air Canada flight to London, Monday morning, only to find out it was cancelled.
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.
Transportation officials have been unable to clear snow and ice from planes, runways and high-speed train tracks leading to thousands of travellers being stuck in limbo.
One Toronto woman who is trying to get out of London doubts she’ll be home for Christmas.
Karen Steele and her husband were supposed to fly back to Toronto Monday.
“All the people sitting down and newspapers everywhere and the thermal blankets on top of them, kids sleeping in the middle of the floor with their parents and it’s heart-wrenching actually to look at a family trying to get out and you have no choice.”
Some of the stores in the city closed due to the snow, Saturday, but reopened Monday.
“It is unbelievable what we in Canada would call a typical day, here it grounds everything to a halt.”
She said the earliest her travel agent has told her they’ll be able to leave is boxing day.
She was able to score a hotel room for Sunday night and Monday but doesn’t know where they’ll stay after that.
Jonathan Carroll, the president of Itravel 2000 is also among one of the many people stuck at Heathrow airport.
“No information, you didn’t know if the planes were going so everybody was waiting, showed up on Sunday you weren’t even allowed into the terminal, they had security keeping us outside for three hours.”
He said the situation at Heathrow is the worst he’s seen as of many years of travelling.
“The lines were incredible. I mean you had young children, elderly people sitting outside for two to three hours waiting for information, is the flight going to go isn’t it going to go?”
Carroll believes that the delay could have been prevented.
“The snow started coming in on Saturday midday, so to clear the runway wasn’t that hard, it was just totally mishandled by the airport authorities.
Carroll was one of the lucky ones though, his flight was one of the very few to take off headed to Toronto.
Air Canada said it’s only able to operate one-third of its normal schedule through London’s Heathrow airport, with just six takeoffs and landings allowed Monday.
British Airways warned passengers not to travel to London’s Heathrow airport unless they have a confirmed seat on a flight known to be operating despite the weather problems and the backlog of delays. It urged travellers to consider cancelling their flight if possible.
