Flying today from Heathrow or Glasgow? 8% of BA flights axed, 60+ cancellations strand thousands

Travel plans meet a squall today. Queues swell, phones ring out, and departure boards flicker with unwelcome red.

Stormy weather across the UK has forced British Airways to cancel more than sixty flights from its Heathrow hub. Thousands of travellers now face disrupted plans to and from London, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Glasgow, with knock-on problems across Europe. Rebooking options are tight, and hotel rooms near airports are scarce.

What is happening at Heathrow

Heathrow is running at reduced capacity after bands of heavy rain and strong gusts cut visibility and slowed runway operations. Controllers have imposed wider separation between aircraft to maintain safe spacing. Ground handling crews are working more slowly in rain and wind for safety reasons.

British Airways has cancelled over sixty services, about 8% of its daily schedule. Many affected flights are short-haul and domestic, where turnarounds are fast and weather margins are tight. The airline is consolidating services to free aircraft and crews for recovery operations.

More than 60 British Airways services were scrapped as storms triggered low-visibility procedures and cut runway movements.

Ripples from Heathrow are hitting other airports. Slots are scarce, diversions are limited, and connecting passengers have missed onward legs. The backlog will take time to clear, even after the weather improves.

Routes and airports most affected

Disruption is concentrated on UK trunk routes linking London with Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle. European links to Vienna, Luxembourg, Cologne, Copenhagen, Oslo, Geneva, Nice, Palma, Budapest and Stuttgart have also seen cancellations and lengthy delays. Some inbound services from Paris and other hubs have turned back or been scrubbed before departure.

Beyond cancellations, more than 40 British Airways services have been delayed, around 5% of today’s schedule. Delays range from one hour to several hours as crews and aircraft fall out of position. Manchester, Gatwick and Birmingham report minor timetable changes as the weather system drifts east.

Expect long waits to rebook and tight hotel availability around Heathrow. Keep receipts for meals, transfers and accommodation.

Why the weather is grounding flights

Heavy rain increases runway braking distances and lengthens the time each aircraft spends on the runway. Gusting crosswinds can exceed certified limits for certain aircraft types. Low cloud triggers low-visibility procedures, which require wider spacing and fewer movements per hour. Ramp staff slow down when lightning risk is present, which reduces the pace of turnarounds. All of this combines to shrink the airport’s hourly throughput.

When capacity drops, airlines must prioritise. Short-haul flights are often cut first because they are easier to consolidate and re-accommodate. This creates bottlenecks on busy domestic corridors and popular European routes. The effect then spreads as aircraft and crews fail to meet later rotations.

What you can do now

• Rebook via the British Airways app or website for the fastest outcome. Keep trying as seats reappear in batches.
• Check nearby airports for alternatives, including Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. Factor in ground transfer time.
• For Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle, consider rail. LNER and Avanti West Coast often add capacity during disruption.
• Ask BA for “rerouting at the earliest opportunity” if the next BA flight is far off. This can include other airlines.
• Keep every receipt. BA owes duty of care during weather disruption, including meals, hotels and local transport.
• If your trip no longer makes sense, request a refund rather than a later flight.
• If your bag is checked, ask baggage services before leaving the airport. Retrieval after cancellation can take time.
• Families and passengers needing assistance should speak to staff early to secure priority support and cots where available.

Your rights under UK261

UK261 protects passengers departing from UK airports or flying to the UK on UK or EU carriers. Weather is an extraordinary circumstance, so cash compensation is not normally payable. Duty of care still applies. The airline must provide reasonable meals, refreshments, communication and hotel rooms when an overnight stay is required.

You can choose rerouting at the earliest opportunity or a full refund of the unused ticket. Rerouting can be on partner or competitor airlines when BA cannot offer a timely alternative. Transfers between London airports should be covered when rerouted. Keep boarding passes, booking confirmations and receipts to support claims.

Travel insurance may cover extra costs beyond the duty of care. Policies often include missed connections, lost prepaid accommodation and some ground transport. Check excess amounts and claim deadlines.

Inside the recovery plan

Once the worst of the storm passes, Heathrow will lift spacing restrictions in stages. Airlines will seek extra slots to fly recovery sectors. Crews must remain within duty time limits, so some aircraft will still be grounded even after the weather clears. Expect rolling delays to persist into the next day while aircraft and crew positioning resets.

British Airways is likely to protect long-haul departures and high-demand domestic links first. Consolidated services will appear on the timetable at short notice. Standby crews may be activated if legal rest permits. Even so, limited hotel rooms near Hounslow and Hillingdon could strain overnight care.

Practical planning for the next 48 hours

Build in extra time for security and transfers. Bring chargers, medications and snacks. Monitor your booking every hour. Airports sometimes publish revised departure estimates only after aircraft and crews are confirmed. Take screenshots of updates for your records.

If you are connecting, check the minimum connection time for your airport and airline. Ask to be reprotected on a later long-haul flight if your inbound delay makes the original connection unrealistic. If you hold separate tickets, speak to both airlines early. Some carriers will help during severe weather on a goodwill basis.

If you can shift your trip, moving by a day may avoid queues and guarantee a seat. Flexible fares and frequent-flyer benefits can ease changes. If travel is essential, a multimodal plan reduces risk. Book a refundable rail ticket as a fallback where practical.

Key takeaways at a glance

• More than 60 BA flights cancelled at Heathrow, about 8% of the day’s programme.
• Over 40 additional BA services delayed, around 5% of the schedule.
• Domestic routes to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle most affected, with several European cities disrupted.
• No cash compensation for weather, but duty of care applies under UK261.
• Rebook digitally first, then seek rerouting on other airlines if delays are excessive.

Weather-driven aviation disruption is complex and slow to unwind. Keep your options open, claim what you are owed, and plan for recovery to take at least a day. The fastest path home is often the first confirmed seat, even if it is not the perfect routing.