UK airports operator BAA has opened London Heathrow to inbound short-haul flights, following the suspension of service earlier today in response to heightened security checks.

A BAA spokeswoman says it is "up to the individual airlines” to decide whether to operate services.

Airlines are warning of further disruptions to their schedules tomorrow as they deal with the backlog caused by today’s reaction to the UK’s exposure of a massive terrorism plot to attack transatlantic services.

According to BAA figures released at 16:00, 302 arriving and 309 departing flights at London Heathrow have been cancelled today. A BAA spokeswoman says that tomorrow Heathrow will be “open and operational”, but she cautions that the new security restrictions may impact airline operations.

British Airways says it cancelled about 400 services today due to “severe airport congestion” resulting from the new security measures. The cancellations were predominately domestic and short-haul services using London Gatwick and London Heathrow airports. BA normally operates 820 daily flights from the airports.

The UK giant adds that the operational disruption will probably continue for the next 48h. From Heathrow it expects to operate around 60% of its 400 short-haul and domestic services and around 75% of its 150 long-haul services.

From Gatwick, BA expects to operate around 80% of its 210 short-haul and domestic services and around 75% of its 18 long-haul links. BA Connect’s services from regional airports will operate normally, but with delays, the carrier notes.

EasyJet, which today cancelled all of its London-originating services, has cancelled tomorrow’s services from Gatwick, London Stansted and Luton to Aberdeen, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Inverness, Geneva, Glasgow, Newcastle and Paris. But it says that, beyond these cancellations, it intends to fly a full programme, albeit with ongoing hand luggage scrutiny.

Budget rival Ryanair says that its delays at London Stansted are continuing and are being exacerbated by security delays and ramp congestion.

“Due to these ongoing security delays, we are have been forced to cancel further flights departing from London Stansted this evening and due to continuing security restrictions tomorrow morning, a number of flights departing from Stansted will be cancelled,” says Ryanair.

It adds that flights from other UK airports continue to be delayed, which may lead to further cancellations later today. The knock-on effects from earlier delays at Stansted are now being felt at non-UK airports.

Star Alliance carrier BMI says that it operated more than two thirds of its normal Heathrow schedule, cancelling 58 of its 170 daily services. Long-haul services have been unaffected, but may be subject to delays.

BMI Regional, which operates domestic and European services from regional airports, suffered minimal delays with no cancellations among its 80 daily services. Low-cost subsidiary Bmibaby cancelled 48 from its more than 100 daily services.

“All airlines within the BMI Group anticipate operating a full programme of flights tomorrow,” says BMI.

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has identified the UK’s London Heathrow and Manchester airports as the planned launch points for the terrorism plot thwarted earlier today by British authorities,

In a press conference detailing new security measures and the deployment of reserve troops at New York’s airports, the mayor said he has been told flights from the two UK airports to New York and other US cities were being targeted.

According to initial indications from US officials, the plot involved at least 21 and as many as 50 protagonists, who planned to destroy between six to 10 aircraft while en route to the USA from the UK.

American Airlines, Continental Airlines and United Airlines have been identified by US media without citing sources.

Under the current bilateral accord between Britain and the USA, only American, British Airways, United and Virgin Atlantic can operate transatlantic services from Heathrow.

Source: Flight International

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