A British Airways flight travelling from New York JFK airport to London Heathrow is reported to have arrived in record time, achieving the fastest subsonic transatlantic flight time. The plane landed in the American city after just four hours and 56 minutes of flying.
BA is offering flexible bookings to passengers due to travel on affected journeys.
The airline posted a statement to its website saying: “Like all airlines operating in to and out of the UK tomorrow, we are expecting to be impacted by the adverse weather conditions across parts of the UK on Sunday 9th February.
“We are sorry for the potential disruption to your travel plans and are doing all we can to minimise the effect the poor weather may have on our flights.
“We recognise the uncertainty that the bad weather may be causing customers, and have therefore introduced flexible rebooking options for all customers on domestic and European flights flying to/from London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London City on Sunday.”
Virgin Atlantic has also cancelled 17 flights.
After the Met Office posted a severe weather warning, transport on the ground began to make amendments to schedules too.
Rail operators reduced timetables across the country, urging Britons not to travel unless vital.
Northern Rail has imposed a speed restriction of 50mph on all trains.
Avanti West Coast, London North Eastern and South Western are allowing passengers with Sunday rail tickets to travel on Monday as well.
Ferry passengers are also facing disruption.
Emma Grimster, a spokesperson for TravelSupermarket offered some advice for travellers whose flights have been affected.
She said: “There is no doubt that Storm Ciara is going to cause flight delays and cancellations for many travellers this weekend, however, there are some tips that are worth bearing in mind to minimise disruption.
“If you have a flight booked, check with your airline and airport well before leaving home for any updates and advice on disruption to schedules.
“Alternatively, contact your airline by phone and ensure it has your up-to-date contact details lodged in your booking.
“Many airports and airlines also use Twitter or Facebook to communicate with customers – these are updated in real-time and are a good source for the latest news.
“If you’re getting to the airport by car, check the traffic and road conditions well before you are due to leave and allow yourself extra time for your journey.”
