Flight chaos may lead to stricter EU regulations

Brussels: The Europe-wide failure to keep flights operating in cold and snowy conditions is unacceptable and could lead to tighter regulation by the EU, the continent's top transportation official said yesterday as exhausted, outraged passengers struggled to get home for the fourth day.

Major delays and cancellations disrupted European airports including London's Heathrow, and the Eurostar train link, leaving thousands stranded across Europe as Christmas approached. The icy road conditions in much of Britain also raised doubts about the delivery of Christmas gifts because many side roads were hazardous.

"We are delivering as much as we can, but inevitably some things may not be delivered before Christmas," said Anina Castle, spokeswoman for the Currys chain, which sells computers, iPods, home appliances and many other items.

Currys and many other major businesses have stopped taking online orders for pre-Christmas delivery because of the poor road conditions.

Predicted snowfall at Heathrow did not materialise overnight, allowing cleanup crews to intensify their work, but more than half the flights at Europe's busiest international hub were expected to be cancelled.

Transportation Commissioner Siim Kallas said new airport regulations due to be published before the summer could include new requirements on "minimal services" airports will have to be able to provide during severe weather.

Explanations

He said he will meet with airport representatives in coming days "to ask for further explanations and to take a hard look at what is necessary to make sure they would be able to operate more effectively."

"Airports must ‘get serious' about planning for this kind of severe weather conditions," Kallas said. "We have seen in recent years that snow in Western Europe is not such an exceptional circumstance.

"Better preparedness, in line with what is done in Northern Europe is not an optional extra, it must be planned for and with the necessary investment, particularly on the side of the airports," Kallas said.

The terminals at Heathrow were clogged with passengers desperately looking at computer screens to see if they would be able to get to their destinations.