Heathrow passengers face hours of delays as airport hit by staff shortages and strong winds

People travelling from Heathrow Airport are facing flight delays after staff absences and high winds led to air traffic control restrictions being imposed.

More than 30 departing flights have been cancelled since 9am, analysis by The Independent found, with others delayed by hours.

Three-quarters of those cancelled have been British Airways flights to short-haul destinations including Madrid, Milan, Berlin and Oslo, which is a result of the air traffic control restrictions imposed since early on Sunday morning.

“Due to short notice staff absence in the tower and strong winds at Heathrow, temporary ATC restrictions are currently in place,” a spokesperson for air traffic control provider Nats said.

“We are working hard to minimise disruption, working closely with Heathrow airport and airlines. Passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline. Restrictions of this sort are only ever applied to ensure safety and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

“We expect the situation to improve this afternoon,” they added.

A Heathrow spokesperson told the BBC there “may be minor changes” to flight schedules, but declined to say how many journeys will be affected. Passengers should check with their airlines, the airport said.

It is unclear how long the restrictions will be in place, but they have ranged in severity throughout the day – with just 25 flights per hour permitted to arrive and depart earlier on Sunday, The Independent was told.

Despite the cancellations only affecting short-haul flights, some passengers complained of having missed connections further afield.

“We’ve been held on the tarmac at MCR Airport because Heathrow accepting reduced number of flights,” one passenger wrote on Twitter/X. “Not expected to depart for a further 2 hours, which means missing our transfer to New York. My 40th birthday celebration is turning disastrous.”

A British Airways spokesperson said: “Air traffic control restrictions imposed on all airlines at London Heathrow mean we’ve had to make some adjustments to our short-haul schedule. We’ve contacted affected customers to apologise and offer them rebooking options or a full refund.”

The airline said most customers on cancelled flights should still be able to reach their destination today, however for some the next available flight would be on Monday.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Due to strong wind and staff absence in air traffic control, temporary air traffic control restrictions have been implemented at Heathrow.

“We want to reassure passengers that our colleagues are working in close collaboration with our airline and air traffic control partners to get them safely on their journeys as quickly as possible. We encourage passengers to check with their airline for the latest information.”