Heathrow 'closes' terminals one and three

Heathrow airport will review its operations against 4pm after telling passengers not to turn up to terminals one and three as the freezing conditions continue to hamper operations.
Operator BAA said it is snowing again at the airport and the terminals are “extremely congested” and it was “unable to accept any more passengers”.
The airport is operating a limited service today and has asked customers not to turn up to the airport unless it has been confirmed by their carrier that the service will operate.
A statement said: "We have agreed a reduced flying schedule until 6am on Wednesday December 22. A maximum one-third of flights are likely to operate during this period, and passengers should anticipate further delays and cancellations in the following days and potentially beyond Christmas Day.
"Passengers should not travel to Heathrow without a confirmed booking. If passengers can travel at another time then they should do so. This limited schedule provides airlines and passengers with more clarity in order to plan which flights are taking off and which are cancelled.
"We aim to provide passengers with better and more timely information. Airlines are currently updating which flights have been cancelled and our website is showing the latest available flight information. If the website shows 'contact airline' then the flight will not be operating today.
"Passengers must not travel to the airport unless they have confirmed that their flight is leaving today. Airline contact numbers are available on www.heathrowairport.com.
"The government has decided to permit extra flights throughout the night at Heathrow. The northern runway at Heathrow is open and handling a limited number of arrivals and departures.
"Earlier in the day, we prioritised aircraft that had previously been diverted, in order to bring passengers to Heathrow and get airline crews and aircraft in the right place.
"Heathrow is currently using every available member of staff and several hundred additional contractors have been brought in to clear the situation. BAA has also deployed additional staff to provide comfort to passengers in its terminals.
"We are sorry for the disruption caused and will reflect carefully on the lessons we can learn and the steps we need to take to better prepare for these periods of poor weather."
Abta spokesman Sean Tipton said the situation was more acute than when snow last hit the south east two weeks ago because of the sheer volume of people hoping to travel.
He said people who have bought packages through an Abta should contact them for the latest advice on what to do.
And he reiterated advice that all passengers should check for updates on airline and airport websites before travelling to the airport.

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The cold weather is not just affecting flying. Huge queues have formed at Eurostar’s St Pancreas terminal.
The train operator has closed the queue to newcomers saying they are not likely to get on a train but said the queue will re-open again at 3am.
Some passengers have said they have been waiting in the queue for up to five hours standing in freezing conditions. Eurostar staff have been handing out teas and coffees to those waiting.