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Timeline: How snow has hit UK flights, 1991 – 2009

The UK is experiencing its heaviest snowfall since 1991 – but how badly were the airports affected then?


Here’s a look at some of the major snow disruption the country has seen over the last 20 years.


So far London City, Luton, Southampton, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports have all been seriously affected by this week’s snow.


Dipity timeline


Created using dipity.com. Email nathan.midgley@rbi.co.uk if you want to add to this timeline.





1991


February: Six inches of snow fell in London. Heathrow cancelled 23 flights and 20 arrivals. Gatwick and Birmingham were both forced to close.


1999


January: Snow led to 60 flights being delayed or cancelled at Stansted.


2000


December: Snow caused some delays and diversions at Heathrow and Gatwick, and forced Liverpool and Manchester airports to close.


2003


January: Heathrow cancelled around 150 flights over two days, and London City was closed for the morning of January 8.


2005


March: Stansted closed its runway. Six flights were cancelled and a further six diverted.


2007


February: Snow caused 30 cancellations at Heathrow, 40 at Gatwick and 100 at Stansted. Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff and Luton were also closed.


2008


April: Snow caused 185 cancellations at Heathrow, 100 of them at Terminal 5 – which was still struggling after its disastrous opening week. Gatwick cancelled 51 flights.


Image: Dennis Stone / Rex Features








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