More than 100 flights to Heathrow Airport on Monday cancelled due to Queen’s funeral: Report
More than 100 flights to London’s busy Heathrow Airport will be cancelled on Monday “to avoid noise” during Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, according to a media report on Thursday.
The west London airport announced that 15 per cent of its 12,000 flights due to take off or land on Monday, September 19 will be disrupted, Sky News reported.
British Airways – the most-affected airline – will cancel 100 short-haul flights due to the restrictions, the report said.
Earlier, Heathrow said it wants to ensure the skies over London will be quiet during the two-minute national silence as the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey nears its end shortly before noon.
No flights will be allowed to take off or land from 15 minutes before the silence starts until 15 minutes after it ends.
Departures and arrivals will also be halted during the arrival of the funeral cortege and procession at Windsor Castle, and diverted around the castle during the private family service on Monday night.
A Heathrow spokesman said: “Heathrow, Nats (the air traffic control provider) and airlines are supporting the ceremonial aspects for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey and the committal service at Windsor Castle on Monday.
“As a mark of respect, operations to and from the airport will be subject to appropriate changes in order to avoid noise disruption at certain locations at specific times on Monday,” the spokesman was quoted as saying.
Some flights in and out of Heathrow Airport were disrupted on Wednesday afternoon in order to ensure silence over central London during the procession transporting the Queen’s coffin to Westminster Hall.
On Wednesday, the BBC reported that non-standard aircraft, including drones flying below 2,500ft (760m), are banned from flying over central London until after the funeral on September 19.
In a tweet, the Metropolitan Police confirmed it would “take enforcement action against anyone using a drone without permission”.
There will be an additional central London and Windsor restriction issued in due course, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.
Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 at her Balmoral Castle summer residence in Scotland on September 8.
