Snow timetables 'will ease Heathrow passenger misery'

Airlines must obey new emergency timetables at Heathrow during extreme weather to avoid misery for thousands of passengers, says Transport Secretary Philip Hammond.

He told MPs that some airlines had not "fully co-operated" with the airport authorities during the height of the snow crisis in December.

Mr Hammond criticised operator BAA for its handling of the severe winter weather which caused massive disruption to flights at Heathrow.

But he added: "It is essential that there is an ability to impose restricted timetables at disrupted airports, particularly Heathrow, with its lack of spare capacity, and to enforce them to avoid the unacceptable spectacle of thousands of passengers turning up for flights that were not going to happen and then being held in sub-standard conditions in terminals."

Some airlines are understood to have tried to muscle their planes into take-off slots during the snow mayhem.

Mr Hammond told the Commons transport committee that on the morning of the worst day of snow in southern England - Saturday December 18 - British Airways decided Heathrow would have to close and so suspended all its operations. But he said BAA took a more optimistic view and believed it could operate the airport.

He said the Government thought there was "merit" in having emergency timetables and this was being discussed with the Civil Aviation Authority.

Last week the committee took evidence from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Both carriers were critical of BAA's handling of the weather crisis.

Mr Hammond said the snow plan at Heathrow was a joint plan "which was signed off by airlines". Transport disruption cost the UK economy £280 million a day.

He said that although the rail network operated "quite well given the extreme conditions", there were lessons to be learned about the lack of communication to passengers.