A Qantas flight due to leave London today has been cancelled, despite the airline earlier saying all planned flights would go ahead as normal.
Three flights from London were expected to arrive in Australia today, while four services are to depart this evening.
However QF0030, due to leave Heathrow Airport after midday UK time, has now been cancelled.
Last night the first Qantas passengers to leave Heathrow since it was shut down due to freezing weather arrived in Sydney on board Qantas flight QF2.
Thousands of passengers remain stranded at Heathrow, with sub-zero temperatures and record snow falls grounding the majority of flights and causing a massive backlog.
Heathrow’s southern runway has since reopened, but it is predicted delays could last until Christmas.
Meanwhile, the British government is promising an inquiry into the travel chaos at Heathrow Airport.
Critics say Heathrow was woefully unprepared for winter after recently cutting its snow defence budget by two-thirds.
Prime minister David Cameron says BAA, which runs Heathrow Airport, has no excuse for the extent of the chaos.
“Evan BAA’s harshest critics have conceded that given the amount of snow that has fallen, extensive disruption is understandable,” he said.
“But if it’s understandable that Heathrow had to close briefly, I’m frustrated on behalf of all those affected that it’s taking so long for the situation to improve.”
The European Union has criticised snowbound airports for failing to deal with the freezing weather which has hit the continent, branding them a “weak link” in the continent’s transport infrastructure.
Source: www.abc.net.au
