London, Dec 12 (Representative) All flights have been suspended at Stansted Airport after it was forced to close its runway due to bad weather. Heathrow and Gatwick also cancelled or delayed flights after snow, ice and freezing fog swept the UK. A yellow weather warning remains place for Scotland, London and south-west England until Monday morning, with the disruption set to continue, reports BBC. Trains have also been delayed and drivers warned to take care after several motorway accidents. Stansted said on Sunday night its only runway was closed to allow for snow clearance due to weather conditions and all flights were suspended. “Delays to flights were experienced earlier due to de-icing of aircraft which is a ground handler’s responsibility and safety of aircraft and passengers is paramount,” a spokesman added, the BBC reported. More than 50 flights were cancelled at Heathrow on Sunday, after freezing fog resulted in air traffic control restrictions on the number of aircraft that could land and depart per hour, the report said. The airport said it was keeping passengers safe and trying to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible. British Airways, the Heathrow’s biggest airline, said it had apologised to customers and was refunding or rebooking anyone whose flight had been cancelled and providing refreshment and hotel vouchers where needed.
It said Heathrow was going to restrict flights in and out of the airport again on Monday, meaning more disruption. Gatwick Airport temporarily closed one of its runways at 17:55 GMT on Sunday due to un-forecast snow and reopened it at 20:00 when conditions were safer. A number of flights were delayed or cancelled, while 28 others were also diverted to other airports during the closure, the BBC said. “Freezing weather conditions are expected to continue this evening and may cause further disruption at the airport,” a spokesman said. A spokesperson for London Luton Airport warned that there could be disruption to flights and also advised passengers to allow extra time when travelling to the airport. On Saturday, Manchester Airport closed both runways due to “heavy snowfall”, with dozens of flights affected.Some passengers complained on Sunday about a lack of information from airlines on the cancellations. Others said they had been unable to get off planes due to the icy conditions. Heavy snowfall caused a series of traffic collisions on Sunday, as many drivers were faced with treacherous conditions. Trains across the West Midlands were also hit by delays.