Thick radiation fog blanketed south-east England from midnight on 25 December, forcing Heathrow to implement low-visibility spacing on departures and arrivals. Real-time data compiled by VisaHQ shows 1,493 delays and 21 cancellations across nine major European hubs, with Heathrow accounting for the largest share. British Airways short-haul shuttles to Madrid, Rome and Frankfurt were held on stand for up to 90 minutes, and flagship BA177 to New York departed 47 minutes late.
The bigger pinch-point, however, was staffing: French en-route control centres operated with skeleton Christmas rosters and applied flow restrictions on traffic entering UK airspace. That exacerbated knock-on delays at Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, while Gatwick largely escaped disruption thanks to lower holiday schedules. Long-haul services fared better because contingency padding was built into their flight plans.
![Christmas-Day Fog Triggers 1,493 Flight Delays at Heathrow and Across Europe]()
For mobility managers, the timing could not be worse. Many assignees use the quiet Christmas window to start January projects; missed connections have already triggered rebookings into the expensive New-Year peak. Duty-of-care teams are advising travellers to keep boarding passes and meal receipts so that EU261 compensation claims can be filed.
At moments like these, VisaHQ can shoulder some of the logistical load. Through its UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) the service turns around urgent visas, eTAs and work permits in hours, giving mobility teams the confidence that rerouted staff will still land with the right stamps, even when flight schedules shift at the last minute.
Looking ahead, Eurocontrol’s Network Manager lifted most flow-rate caps on Boxing Day, but Heathrow slot co-ordinators warn that any fresh weather event could recreate a backlog because stand availability remains tight. Companies are therefore recommending a four-hour minimum buffer between inbound transatlantic flights and domestic connections for the rest of the week.
The bigger pinch-point, however, was staffing: French en-route control centres operated with skeleton Christmas rosters and applied flow restrictions on traffic entering UK airspace. That exacerbated knock-on delays at Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, while Gatwick largely escaped disruption thanks to lower holiday schedules. Long-haul services fared better because contingency padding was built into their flight plans.
For mobility managers, the timing could not be worse. Many assignees use the quiet Christmas window to start January projects; missed connections have already triggered rebookings into the expensive New-Year peak. Duty-of-care teams are advising travellers to keep boarding passes and meal receipts so that EU261 compensation claims can be filed.
At moments like these, VisaHQ can shoulder some of the logistical load. Through its UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) the service turns around urgent visas, eTAs and work permits in hours, giving mobility teams the confidence that rerouted staff will still land with the right stamps, even when flight schedules shift at the last minute.
Looking ahead, Eurocontrol’s Network Manager lifted most flow-rate caps on Boxing Day, but Heathrow slot co-ordinators warn that any fresh weather event could recreate a backlog because stand availability remains tight. Companies are therefore recommending a four-hour minimum buffer between inbound transatlantic flights and domestic connections for the rest of the week.
