Gulf carriers resume London flights, BA cancels Dubai routes

The majority of flights from the Gulf to London Heathrow are expected to take off as scheduled today, following a spate of cancellations this weekend spurred by heavy snowfall in Europe.

Emirates, Etihad and Gulf Air have all resumed normal operations after several outbound flights were cancelled on Sunday, whilst Qatar Airways and Royal Jordanian flights are also operating as usual.

British Airways is one of the few carriers still experiencing problems amid the adverse weather conditions, and has cancelled both of its flights from Dubai to London Heathrow.

BA 108 scheduled to depart at 10.05am today, and BA 104 scheduled to depart at 3.40pm, remain cancelled according to the company’s website.

“We are planning to operate a near-normal schedule of flights today,” said a spokesperson. “However, we would advise customers to check their flight status on ba.com before departing for the airport.”

Many airlines were forced to cancel flights out of the Gulf on Sunday delaying hundreds of passengers, as the cold weather gripping Europe disrupted operations at London Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport.

Etihad flights EY 11 (0240) from Abu Dhabi to London and the return flight EY 12 (0915) from London to Abu Dhabi did not operate, whilst Emirates cancelled four flights between Dubai and the UK capital.

Bahrain’s flag carrier Gulf Air also cancelled its two flights scheduled between Bahrain and London for the day, GF 003 and GF006, as directed by the Heathrow Airport authorities.

“Severe weather in Europe forced the cancellation of [some] flights yesterday, but arrangements were made to assist all affected passengers,” said a spokesperson for Etihad.

“Our London flights are currently operating to schedule. Etihad Airways will continue to closely monitor European weather conditions and will keep all passengers fully informed of any further changes to the airline’s schedule.”

A statement from Heathrow airport said it expected many flights to return to normal today, but that passengers could experience some delays as staff sought to cope with the travel backlog.

“Heathrow is open. Our runways, taxiways and stands have been cleared of snow,” said a statement on the airport’s website.

“There may still be some cancellations as a result of [the] disruption with aircraft and crew needing to be repositioned. Passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling.”