Heathrow: Coping with Snow

January 19, 2013 By Malcolm Blair-Robinson

The scenes of hundreds of people lying on the floor trying to rest after hours of delay to their flights because of snow are truly shocking. In a world shrunk by air travel it is simply unacceptable that this appalling confusion is the repeated consequence of a snowfall in the London area. This was not a blizzard or a storm. It was a perfectly average winter snowfall of modest levels by even European standards. Why is it, therefore, that the management of Heathrow cannot cope?

When it comes to coping with adverse weather, Great Britain is an international joke. Heathrow is a hub airport. It cannot collapse because of  weather which would not even merit comment at any of several competing European airports. The Spanish owners must be told to raise their game or face serious sanctions. Meanwhile any suggestion that it would be a good idea to add another runway to this mismanaged facility is just plain barmy.