UK airports began the working week in turmoil as a combination of heavy snow and chronic staffing gaps caused 139 cancellations and 1,531 delays on 5 January 2026, according to passenger-rights analyst AirHelp. By early evening an estimated 260,000 seats had been affected across Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh, prompting airlines to issue blanket rebooking waivers.
While the snowstorm was the immediate trigger, airport sources told VisaHQ that shortages in air-traffic-control and ground-handling personnel amplified the chaos. Heathrow pre-emptively cut departure slots to maintain safe separation during de-icing procedures, sending rolling knock-on delays across European and North-American networks. Corporate travellers reported helpline wait times exceeding two hours as carriers struggled to reroute itineraries.
Under EU Regulation 261/2004, which remains incorporated into UK law, passengers delayed by more than three hours could claim up to €600—unless an airline proves the disruption was caused solely by ‘extraordinary circumstances.’ Legal advisers caution that while severe weather may qualify, downstream delays linked to rostering gaps often do not. Businesses therefore need robust evidence trails—gate times, flight alerts—to support compensation claims on behalf of travelling employees.
![Snowstorm and Staffing Shortages Disrupt More Than 1,600 Flights at UK Airports]()
For organisations needing to reroute staff at short notice—often through countries that normally require advance paperwork—VisaHQ can arrange expedited transit or entry visas via its UK platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/). The service aggregates embassy requirements, offers real-time tracking, and assigns a dedicated account manager, helping travel coordinators keep projects on schedule even when flights go off track.
Risk managers are also urged to diversify routings for mission-critical travel during winter peaks and pre-book airport lounges that double as ad-hoc workspaces. VisaHQ recommends that global-mobility teams align travel-policy language with real-time disruption services so staff know how to invoke statutory care (meals, hotels, communications) at the airport without senior sign-off.
Looking ahead, the Civil Aviation Authority has convened an industry task-force to review winter-resilience planning amid concerns that post-pandemic attrition has left critical airport functions understaffed. Recommendations—due in March—could result in mandatory minimum staffing ratios that influence slot allocations and, by extension, corporate-travel forecasting for 2026-27.
While the snowstorm was the immediate trigger, airport sources told VisaHQ that shortages in air-traffic-control and ground-handling personnel amplified the chaos. Heathrow pre-emptively cut departure slots to maintain safe separation during de-icing procedures, sending rolling knock-on delays across European and North-American networks. Corporate travellers reported helpline wait times exceeding two hours as carriers struggled to reroute itineraries.
Under EU Regulation 261/2004, which remains incorporated into UK law, passengers delayed by more than three hours could claim up to €600—unless an airline proves the disruption was caused solely by ‘extraordinary circumstances.’ Legal advisers caution that while severe weather may qualify, downstream delays linked to rostering gaps often do not. Businesses therefore need robust evidence trails—gate times, flight alerts—to support compensation claims on behalf of travelling employees.
For organisations needing to reroute staff at short notice—often through countries that normally require advance paperwork—VisaHQ can arrange expedited transit or entry visas via its UK platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/). The service aggregates embassy requirements, offers real-time tracking, and assigns a dedicated account manager, helping travel coordinators keep projects on schedule even when flights go off track.
Risk managers are also urged to diversify routings for mission-critical travel during winter peaks and pre-book airport lounges that double as ad-hoc workspaces. VisaHQ recommends that global-mobility teams align travel-policy language with real-time disruption services so staff know how to invoke statutory care (meals, hotels, communications) at the airport without senior sign-off.
Looking ahead, the Civil Aviation Authority has convened an industry task-force to review winter-resilience planning amid concerns that post-pandemic attrition has left critical airport functions understaffed. Recommendations—due in March—could result in mandatory minimum staffing ratios that influence slot allocations and, by extension, corporate-travel forecasting for 2026-27.
