Travel chaos eases slowly in Europe
Source: Agencies |
December 23, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE chief executive of Heathrow airport announced yesterday he would give up his bonus this year after the world's busiest international airport was crippled by snowy conditions. Air and train travel throughout Europe has finally begun to return to normal after days of disruption.
Temperatures have picked up in Britain and about 70 percent of Heathrow's planned departures - some 900 flights - were expected to operate yesterday. Airlines are trying to clear a backlog of canceled flights, after iced-over runways and planes led to misery for those seeking to travel before Christmas.
Heavy criticism of the airport's inability to cope with snow prompted Colin Matthews, the chief executive of operator the British Airports Authority, to announce he would forgo his bonus and keep his focus on "keeping people moving and rebuilding confidence in Heathrow." It was not clear what Matthew's bonus amounts to, but BAA said his salary and bonuses last year came to 944,000 pounds (US$1.46 million).
Many people traveled yesterday, but some were still stranded and bitter about Heathrow's management.
"We kept asking questions," said Michelle Sorrell, who was hoping to finally board a plane to Australia with her husband and two children. "We were given some foam mattresses and a couple of blankets and the rest was up to us."
Airport officials placed two tents outside Terminal 3 to handle overflow passengers, but crowds were smaller and only one was used. Computer screens there showed 11 out of about 50 incoming flights had been canceled.
Germany's Frankfurt airport said schedules were slowly returning to normal after several days of widespread delays caused by winter weather. About 70 flights were canceled yesterday out of a daily total of about 1,300, a substantial improvement on the 550 cancellations experienced on Tuesday.
The French government said 15 percent of the flights from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris were canceled yesterday because of the severe winter weather.
Eurostar, which offers train services between England, France and Belgium, said routes were operating a near-normal schedule. Still it urged only customers with tickets to show up at terminals, after facing raucous crowds of thousands at ticket halls earlier this week.
Extreme cold temperatures continued to plague parts of Europe.
Denmark experienced its coldest night in 29 years with minus 22.5 degrees Celsius measured in Holbaek, 65 kilometers west of Copenhagen. Still, Copenhagen's international airport expected a normal day.
Snow stopped falling in Ireland at around midnight and Dublin Airport worked hard to catch up after losing most of Tuesday when 90,000 tons of snow had to be cleared from the runways. Aer Lingus leased 10 additional planes to operate extra flights to Europe and the United States.
Temperatures have picked up in Britain and about 70 percent of Heathrow's planned departures - some 900 flights - were expected to operate yesterday. Airlines are trying to clear a backlog of canceled flights, after iced-over runways and planes led to misery for those seeking to travel before Christmas.
Heavy criticism of the airport's inability to cope with snow prompted Colin Matthews, the chief executive of operator the British Airports Authority, to announce he would forgo his bonus and keep his focus on "keeping people moving and rebuilding confidence in Heathrow." It was not clear what Matthew's bonus amounts to, but BAA said his salary and bonuses last year came to 944,000 pounds (US$1.46 million).
Many people traveled yesterday, but some were still stranded and bitter about Heathrow's management.
"We kept asking questions," said Michelle Sorrell, who was hoping to finally board a plane to Australia with her husband and two children. "We were given some foam mattresses and a couple of blankets and the rest was up to us."
Airport officials placed two tents outside Terminal 3 to handle overflow passengers, but crowds were smaller and only one was used. Computer screens there showed 11 out of about 50 incoming flights had been canceled.
Germany's Frankfurt airport said schedules were slowly returning to normal after several days of widespread delays caused by winter weather. About 70 flights were canceled yesterday out of a daily total of about 1,300, a substantial improvement on the 550 cancellations experienced on Tuesday.
The French government said 15 percent of the flights from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris were canceled yesterday because of the severe winter weather.
Eurostar, which offers train services between England, France and Belgium, said routes were operating a near-normal schedule. Still it urged only customers with tickets to show up at terminals, after facing raucous crowds of thousands at ticket halls earlier this week.
Extreme cold temperatures continued to plague parts of Europe.
Denmark experienced its coldest night in 29 years with minus 22.5 degrees Celsius measured in Holbaek, 65 kilometers west of Copenhagen. Still, Copenhagen's international airport expected a normal day.
Snow stopped falling in Ireland at around midnight and Dublin Airport worked hard to catch up after losing most of Tuesday when 90,000 tons of snow had to be cleared from the runways. Aer Lingus leased 10 additional planes to operate extra flights to Europe and the United States.
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