Severe fog has thrown pre-Christmas travel plans into disarray for thousands of passengers, with London City airport bearing the brunt of the disruption. On Wednesday 17 December 2025, poor visibility led to a series of flight cancellations, significant delays, and at least one major diversion.
London City Airport Grounded by Low Visibility
The problems were most acute at London City airport, where at least seven flights were cancelled. Among the affected services were the first British Airways flight from Glasgow and a Loganair arrival from the Isle of Man. The airport's location, with its runway just 19 feet above sea level next to the River Thames, makes it particularly vulnerable to fog. Its steep approach also classifies it as "Category 3," requiring specially trained pilots.
Passengers on KLM routes to and from Amsterdam faced the worst of the chaos. While the first flight from Schiphol departed on time, the aircraft spent 30 minutes holding over the North Sea before pilots made the decision to divert to Southend Airport, some 28 miles from its intended destination at London City. After offloading passengers, the Embraer jet reportedly flew back to Amsterdam empty.
Connection Chaos and Passenger Rights
The disruption created a domino effect, with the next two Amsterdam arrivals and their corresponding outbound flights also cancelled. This severely jeopardised connections for travellers planning to link to long-haul destinations via Schiphol. Under UK air passengers' rights regulations (UK261), those affected by cancellations or missed connections are entitled to:
- Be re-routed to their final destination as soon as possible on any available airline.
- Receive meals and refreshments proportionate to the waiting time.
- Be provided with hotel accommodation if an overnight stay becomes necessary.
Other inbound flights to London City experienced heavy delays exceeding an hour, including British Airways services from Belfast City, Dublin, and Madrid, as they waited for the fog to clear.
Southampton and Other Airports Also Affected
The travel misery extended beyond the capital. Southampton Airport also experienced significant hold-ups due to the poor weather conditions. An Aurigny flight from Guernsey was forced to hold for over an hour, flying circuits above Southampton Water, before it could finally land. An easyJet arrival from Glasgow landed an hour behind schedule, causing subsequent departures from Southampton to be delayed.
While other major London airports appeared largely unaffected by the fog, Wizz Air did cancel one inbound flight from Rome to Luton, though the exact cause of this cancellation was not confirmed.
With just eight days remaining until Christmas Day, the fog serves as a stark reminder of winter weather's power to disrupt even the best-laid travel plans, highlighting the importance for passengers to understand their rights during such operational meltdowns.
