affected

AS STORM Goretti sweeps across the UK, many airports have been forced to delay or cancel flights.

The storm is currently battering the UK, with thousands of Brits experiencing power cuts, travel disruption and school closures.

Some winds are measuring up to 99mph and a rare red alert has been issued by the Met Office.

As for airports across the UK, more than 25 flights have been cancelled, meaning thousands are being affected.

Heathrow Airport is currently experiencing lots of delays and some cancellations, including to British Airways flights.

Flights cancelled from London Heathrow include:

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• 9:20am British Airways to Billund
• 9:45am Eurowings to Cologne
• 9:50am Aer Lingus to Dublin
• 10:20am Scandinavian to Copenhagen
• 11:05am Brussels Airlines to Brussels
• 11:25am British Airways to Berlin
• 11:25pm Iberia to Madrid
• 11:30am Lufthansa to Frankfurt
• 12:00pm United Airlines to New York City
• 12:00pm Air Canada to Ottawa
• 12:35pm American Airlines to Chicago
• 2:25pm British Airways to Frankfurt
• 2:25pm British Airways to Munich
• 3:20pm British Airways to Hamburg
• 5:10pm Swiss Air to Zurich
• 6:30pm Lufthansa to Frankfurt

Birmingham Airport was forced to suspend flights on the evening of January 8 due to snow but reduced runway operations have since resumed.

In a statement the airport said: “The safety of our colleagues and customers is our number one priority.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Passengers due to travel should contact their airline regarding the status of flights.”

Flights cancelled from Birmingham Airport include:

• 8:15am Aer Lingus to Dublin
• 8:25am easyJet to Edinburgh
• 8:35am easyJet to Glasgow
• 9:45am easyJet to Edinburgh
• 10:25am Air France to Paris

East Midlands Airport was also forced to close its runway in the early hours of this morning.

Flights have since resumed though the airport has warned of some delays.

Southampton Airport is telling passengers: “With a weather warning still in place today (Friday, 9th January), we advise passengers to check the status of the flight before travelling to the airport.”

Flights cancelled from Southampton Airport include:

• 6:50am Loganair to Newcastle
• 8:40am Loganair to Edinburgh

Aberdeen Airport has issued the same warning.

Flights cancelled from Aberdeen Airport include:

• 9:00am British Airways to London Heathrow
• 9:00am KLM to Amsterdam
• 10:35am Loganair to Kirkwall

Flight compensation rules

A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?

Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.

If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.

You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.

So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.

But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.

When am I not entitled to compensation?

The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.

Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.

Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?

If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.

Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.

Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.

If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.

In other flight news, UK gets new flight route to world’s best airport – under 4 hours from the UK.

Plus, major airport forced to cancel another 700 flights with trains axed and passengers stranded.

Two of Sunday’s Championship matches have been postponed because of frozen pitches, with a number of others called off elsewhere in the EFL.

The 12:00 GMT kick-off between Sheffield United and Oxford United and Portsmouth’s game against Ipswich at 15:00 are both off.

In a statement, the Blades said a referee looked at the Bramall Lane pitch before the scheduled start and found parts of the playing surface were frozen.

The game at Fratton Park was postponed following a pitch inspection at 11:00 GMT.

Nine fixtures have also been called off in League Two and two more have fallen to the freezing weather in League One.

In League One, Doncaster’s meeting with Luton and Rotherham v Mansfield were also called off on Sunday.

In addition to five of Sunday’s League Two fixtures which had already been postponed on Saturday, Barnet v Crewe, Barrow v Bristol Rovers, Colchester v Accrington and Newport v Tranmere failed pitch inspections.

Airports outside London are set to be ‘most extreme’ as they face ‘unprecedented’ rises

Air travellers are being urged to prepare for soaring ticket prices as regional airports throughout the UK brace for “unprecedented” property tax increases next year. An examination of official Government figures for the Press Association has shown that regional airports are among those confronting the sharpest business rates rises of any industry in the UK during a comprehensive overhaul of property assessments that determine the levy.

While London’s Heathrow and Gatwick are also being hammered with staggering business rates increases, the data reveals that the most severe cases are concentrated beyond London, with regional airports poised to bear the brunt. Global tax consultancy Ryan’s analysis of Valuation Office Agency (VOA) figures discovered that rateable values have rocketed more than six times over in certain instances during the latest property reassessment, causing tax demands to skyrocket.

Despite so-called transitional relief, which caps rises at 30% next year, regional airports will still face some of the most substantial cash hikes nationwide. The majority of airports will witness their bills more than treble over the coming three years.

Manchester Airport stands among the hardest hit, with its business rates demand poised to leap by £4.2 million to £18.1 million next year, Ryan’s figures show. Bristol Airport will experience a £1.2 million jump to £5.2 million, whilst Birmingham International Airport anticipates a £1.8 million surge to £7.6 million.

Newcastle International Airport faces a £244,755 rise to £1.1 million. Alex Probyn, who leads property tax practice for Europe and Asia-Pacific at Ryan, said: “With an unprecedented 295% sector-wide uplift, regional airports simply cannot absorb a cost shock of this magnitude. These increases will inevitably flow through the system: first into airport charges, then into airline costs, and ultimately into ticket prices.”

Airport operators have raised concerns that this tax hike could stifle investment in the sector.

A spokesperson from Manchester Airports Group said: “Airports were already some of the highest rates-payers in the country and were prepared to pay significantly more. But increases of more than 100% mean we have to look again at our plans to invest more than £2 billion in our airports across the UK over the next five years.

“It is inevitable air travel will become more expensive as the industry absorbs these costs. That impacts hard-working people throughout the country and makes global trade harder for businesses.”

AirportsUK, the trade group representing the sector, is formulating a response to the Treasury’s consultation on the business rates plan, which concludes in February. It criticised the plans as “short-sighted” and warned they will “have a knock-on effect for the businesses that depend on airport connectivity in all areas of England”. This threatens to “negatively impacting local economies that depend on the supply chains, tourists and connections their airports provide”, the organisation warned.

The group emphasised the significance of government intervention: “That is why the long-term review into how airport business rates are calculated, also announced by Government, is so important and we will engage with Treasury to ensure this delivers the positive outcome airports need to drive investment and economic growth.”

Additional regional airports bracing for colossal rate hikes include Liverpool Airport facing a £233,100 surge to £1 million, East Midlands International Airport confronting a £437,895 leap to £1.9 million and Bournemouth Airport dealing with a £102,398 jump to £443,723.