Maximum terror alert in the UK - flights disrupted

@UA: Not being picky, but where does it say that? This story and the ticker suggest that Lufthansa have cancelled all flights to the UK. Obv. not true as Andrea saw them boarding, but I don't see any other advice on their website.

On bbc.co.uk/news then look at: Latest.Thanks for the link to that article, it was uploaded at 8.44am so they must have changed UK -> London afterwards.

from Munich 18.15 today they are listed as delayed and not cancelled acc. to Munich's aiprort departures.

People being pedantic right now are not helping my stress levels (although if they'd like to be pedantic while I throw crockery at their head, that would be ok). As soon as someone has the press conference please flag it up.

well i guess it remains to be seen what happens to the 18 guys arrested...whether they actually get charged for anything or get a nice trip to some nice camp out in the Carribbean for a few years.

And yeah i'm sure people have thought of that...turn on the news and watch what one country thinks it's rightfully doing to address the root causes while the world sits around with thumbs up their asses.

pfft.

EDIT: Sorry for getting this thread temporarily sidetracked while responding to BR's wonderful sarcasm.

The big picture specialists please also move along to Misc & Chat - this is a news thread and we want news. Thanks.

go chat with Pirulero ds

so would you argue there is no reason to be a tiny bit fucking scared given what has happened today?

my folks are flying back with lufthansa this evening, oh the joys of it all.

Some flights out of Leeds Bradford (e.g. to Amsterdam) have now been cancelled.

My Mum is due to fly out to Munich via Amsterdam tomorrow, I'll be well ticked off if I spend 3 hours cleaning my house tonight and she doesn't even get here!

Good luck to everyone with flights! Hopefully things will be cleared up a bit after the press conference - conflicting info as usual!

Watching a guy at Newcastle airport on the news now, and Newcastle airport is operating, but at a severely reduced level.

BA have cancelled all short haul LHR flights...that's all I've picked up so far.

Katrina... Try not to worry yourself silly... I would say that flying today is much safer than it was yesterday.

The info from the press conference is mainly about what the plot was (I won't post all the details, but essentially threat to multple aircraft between UK and US through something in hand baggage, probably a liquid)

With regard to disruption, Heathrow is at a standstill, all inbound flights not already in the air are cancelled until further notice. Other airports are also badly disrupted due to security checks taking longer.

Ryanair have said that their first wave of flights from UK airports are 3 hours late, second wave are cancelled and they are hoping third wave will be on-time (although they expect further delays).

If I hear any more I will let you know.

As Katrina mentioned...this is not the thread to continue this endless argument, so I shall not respond any further to it.

that is just a measure to stop the terrorists they didn't arrest from escaping.

Eh? So its all Blairs fault that some fanatics want to blow up some passenger planes. er, yesss... that makes sense. So, a few people feel 'unrepresented' by the current government, and want to blow people up. Sorry, but anyone fucked up in the head enough to wanna take down passenger planes should not even be allowed to vote in the first place.


Yep, should change our immigration policies.

Forget all this making women drink babies milk at customs to prove they are not carrying poison or some shit - simply force everyone to drink a beer and eat a pork chop before getting on the plane. Simple solution.

Someone from the EU just hinted on BBC News that the hand baggage restrictions MAY be extended to all airports in EU

Current advice is don't travel today unless you absolutely have to (due to disruption)

I'm reading that they were planning on blowing-up 10 planes. 10?!? Serious stuff indeed.

That was what the Scotland Yard press conference said.

I didn't say it was ALL his fault (I agree that doesn't make sense ) I said his policies, specifically his ever close allegiance with BUSH, contributes to the UK's increasing terror attacks.

BenPanter cleverly figured out the conflicting information. If you are on BBC News UK version, it says LH flights to UK are cancelled. If you are on BBC News International version, it says London, not the UK!!

Tim McVeigh would have ordered seconds.

Personally I would find death more inconvenient right now but then, I don't have an ipod.



STN is shut.

Looks like all INTERNAL and EUROPEAN flights into and out of LHR have been suspended until at least 14h00 GMT.
Terror alert level has been raised a notch in the US too.

Won't all the duty free/airport shops have to be closed too?*

*not that this is important really

Well the departure time for our flight (21:15) tonight has been fluctuating wildly, but at the moment (according to the BA website) it is back on time.
I guess that priority will be given to people who were not able to catch the earlier cancelled flights but once I get through to the helpline number and find out more I will post something on here

A backlog like this one will take, IMHO, at least a day to clear - I wouldn't expect your 21:15 to run on time to be honest.

Oh, just spoken to an employee at Stansted, and technically the airport is open, but absolute chaos.
EDIT: Total of 49 flights cancelled at STN apparently.

Just watching BBC news on TV. They reakon it could take a week to sort out all this mess.

Interview with family at STN travelling with Ryanair...

Flight is cancelled... when can we go then... maybe next week.

Birmingham seems to be OK- couple of hour delays, but not much worse than that by the sounds of it. Fuck, even the M6 is behaving itself.

Saying now that 21 have been arrested, the majority in London, but some in Thames Valley and Birmingham. They are still searching different properties.

Can you tell me where you got this info please.

Well the missus has jsut spoke to the British Airways helpline (01805 266 522) and if (and thats a big if!!) our flight does get to leave before 11pm tonight then we will be on it - if not we will have to fly on Saturday (tomorrow is already fully booked)

Actually the police often shut that bit of road.. it is the road up to the terminal (not to the car parks) which is only a drop off area and car park bus stops. I would imagine they are letting the car park buses through and just stopping the cars.. Like I said, they often do when it is busy.

@Mrs Peel - BBC News - 30 outbound, 19inbound - I can also SMS a mate who works there if people have specific questions - he's a busy mofo though, so can't promise he'll be able to reply.

hoping to take the same flight

as i posted earlier, BA told me over the phone that after 3pm it is much easier to say whether flight takes place or not...

Apparently these bombs were due to be smuggled on board in separate pieces of luggage and then assembled onboard/airside, and then finally detonated in flight. So BBC news are saying at least, so probably total BS>

They reason they are stopping the handluggage is because the plan seems to have been that there would have been more than one person on each of the 10 flights each carrying a tiny piece of whatever is required to build a bomb and this would have been assembled on board.

@Jimbo. Ta.

Eurovol, give it a rest man.

arrest anybody on a group booking then.

does anybody know what the situation here in munich is? lufthansa flights are they really cancelled?

check this site:

http://www.munich-airport.de/DE/Areas/Cons...enfte/index.jsp

flights from LHR are cancelled

You can only get on a plane with your baby's milk if the accomanying passenger tastes its first... so here's my breast milk

That entered my mind too. Wonder who get's to test it, not like it can be done alone

Airlines targetted were all American (United and Continental were two, but there was a third I think)...

Or possibly even arrested.

I'd too like to wish everyone good luck with their flights. I imagine that flight crews will take special care, especially with all those who have to fly with their youngest ones.

Just announced on the news. All flights in and out of Gatwick suspended.

Latest news - All flights in and out of Gatwick have been cancelled
D'oh! Beaten to the quick!