Luton Airport this morning Thursday 5th February 2009 : 05/02/09 has been hit by bad weather and heavy snow over night. Arrivals and departures are been cancelled, rescheduled, delayed and there is mayhem. I am sat here in the airport bringing you a live update. So if you can’t get through to your airline or relatives then follow here to ….
It all started early this morning at about 3am when the snow started to fall. I was due to get a flight from Luton airport to Trapani in Sicily to meet some clients viewing italian villas near SCOPELLO on the sicilian seaside, where apparently the sun is shining and its a gorgeous day.
Well its a different story here in the UK. I was on an overnight bus coming in from the north of England to Luton (its tough at the top ; executive credit crunch travel), leaving Birmingham at 3am the snow started to fall. We made good ground until outside Milton Keynes. The snow had started to settle, the gritters were just starting to head out for the rush hour. The first lorries had jack knifed and the northern roads were coming to a grinding halt. We were running 30 minutes behind schedule. Due into Luton airport 5:15am my flight was scheduled to leave at 6:30am. I had already done the Ryanair on line checkin so i thought i had enough time. 5:40 and we approach Luton airport and thats were the trouble started. Traffice jams into the airport, the road had not been gritted nor cleared by the snow ploughs. The traffice was slowy moving 5:55am. I started to panic thinking i would miss my plane. A quick check on the internet to see for any information….non. Luton airport was due to update its “real time” information at 7am. Ryanair website latest update made reference to cancellations on Tuesday !!! CArs started to pull up on the side of the road and travellers abandoned their cars and started walking. The traffic had come to a grinding halt. People slipping and falling in the snow. Cars returning from the early drop offs blocked coming out of the airport. People with spades digging out cars, people everywhere, kids screaming as mums dragged them up the road. Everyone wanted to get to the airport but it was still 2 miles away. Courageously they set off on the walk overtaking the cars, the roads covered in snow, icy patches, some slush, luggage on shoulders and trolleys jammed with snow. If only i could post up some photos.
Radio Luton announced that Luton airport runways were closed and no planes were landing nor departing, so i chilled out and relaxed on the bus. But then a phone call from my secretary that the flights had not been cancelled but rescheduled to all starting from 8:30 so then i decided to join others and got off the bus (kindly the driver got out my luggage) and off i was at 7:15am racing to get to the airport. Slipping and sliding, wet shoes and slowy breaking into a sweat speed walking up the road to Luton airport. Overtaking cars jammed, lorries blocked, police redirecting traffic, no traffic allowed into the airport, no wonder there was a massive traffice jam !!. There was a happy spirit on the road as fellow travellers made their way to the airport.
Finally round a corner at the top of the hill the departures lounge glowed in the distance. We were nearly there. Finally by 7:55 i entered the departures lounge to find true some flights had been rescheduled but mine no…CANCELLED.
Queues 3 hours long people trying to rebook flights. Luckily i have my laptop so i rebooked for Saturday.
If you are travelling or picking people up from Luton airport here is the latest information.
No airplanes have landed. Don’t panic if you are struggling to get to the airport to pick up loved ones. They aren’t here !!
Security and boarding is currently closed, so noone is leaving.
No flights have left Luton airport this morning. The runway is still covered in snow….let me update flight info..come back in a minute.
OK
Travel Update 09.15
Due to weather conditions at London Luton Airport this morning, flights are subject to delay and cancellation. Check - in is currently suspended and flights are not anticipated to resume until 10.30. A further update will be posted on this website at 10.00. Anyone travelling to the airport should check public transport and road conditions.
The following flights have been cancelled
Marrakech FR3506
Dublin FR331
Trapani FR3468
Biarritz FR3886
Rotterdam HV5096
Gdansk W6302
Poznan W6502
Budapest W6202
Katowice W6102
Arrecife ZB074
Malaga ZB012
ALicante ZB834 14:40
8:40 EZY015 Edinburgh Departure Estimated at 11:15
9:00 TOM555 NOW Boarding !!!
9:50 RE502 Departure Estimated at 11:15
If your flight is not mentioned above then there is no update and you should assume it is running on time !!!
Airline Contact Numbers
Aer Arann - 0870 876 76 76
easyJet - 0905 821 0905
Flybe + 44 (0)1392 268529
Monarch +44 (0) 8700 405 040
Ryanair +44 (0) 8712 460 000
Sky Europe + 42 12 4850 4850
Thomson Airways +44 (0) 870 607 6757
transavia.com +44 (0) 906 6800065
Wizz Air + 48 22 351 9499
