Heathrow and Gatwick passengers hit with more delays - BBC News

Air passengers at two of the UK's biggest airports were hit by more disruption caused by a problem with the country's air traffic control system.

It came after Heathrow and Gatwick had already endured a day of flight cancellations and delays due to storms following this week's heatwave.

The UK air traffic controller said the situation would improve after it fixed the problem.

Rail delays caused by extreme heat also began to ease on Friday.

The Met Office said Thursday was potentially the UK's hottest ever day after it received a provisional recording of 38.7C at Cambridge Botanic Garden.

Official figures, which recorded 38.1C in Cambridge, already put Thursday as the hottest July day on record and the UK's second hottest day.

Friday was cooler than Thursday, with temperatures ranging from 23C to 25C in most areas (73F to 77F), rising to 27C in south-east England.

But flights were disrupted by storms across Europe and trains were delayed as rail companies worked to repair the damage from Thursday's extreme heat.

---

'No idea what to do'

Mark Pickering was due to fly to Singapore on his way to Sydney, but his Thursday evening flight from Heathrow was cancelled due to "spoiled" food caused by the hot weather.

He waited at the airport until 02:00 BST on Friday morning, before getting a hotel and returning at 07:00 to try again.

"I still don't know where my bags are and I've no idea what to do when I finally get to Singapore because I've missed my connecting flight by ages," he said.

"When the flight was cancelled last night there was a line of about 300 to 400 people and no-one really knew what was going on. There was one person at the check in desk."

Diane Styant, who was booked to fly on the same flight to Singapore as Mr Pickering, said she was not able to get any accommodation on Thursday night.

She said she had to sit on an upright chair in a coffee shop until 03:30, when she and her husband joined the queue in departures for rebooking.

After more than four hours, they managed to book another flight leaving on Friday.

"Our precious annual holiday to visit our family who live in Singapore has not got off well," she added.

---

A "technical problem" at Swanwick air traffic control centre on Friday morning also caused problems at Heathrow and Gatwick.

The UK's air traffic controller said in the afternoon it had "fixed the issue sufficiently to safely increase traffic flow rates".

Heathrow Airport said fewer than 100 flights, or 10% of the total, were affected during Friday.

Both Heathrow and Gatwick advised passengers to check with airlines before travelling.

British Airways said the severe thunderstorms caused "significant delays and cancellations to our operation in and out of London".

At London Liverpool Street station on Friday evening, passengers took to social media to say they faced large crowds and significant delays.

Author Erica James described the scene as "hell", while fellow rail traveller Ross Brereton warned others on Twitter to avoid the station "like the plague".

Network Rail said there were problems with two train lines from the station.

Elsewhere, there was disruption on the Midland Main Line between London St Pancras and Sheffield and on services operated by Great Northern, Thameslink, East Midlands Trains and West Midlands Trains.

West Midlands Railway said overnight work to repair damage caused delays and many trains started on Friday out of place, leading to cancellations and shorter trains.

Passengers using Eurostar services to and from Paris faced "severe disruption" due to overhead power line problems in the French capital.

Many operators said tickets for Friday could be used the following day, and offered compensation to season ticket holders who did not travel on Thursday.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: "All passengers told not to travel due to extreme weather should be entitled to claim compensation."

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49122644

2019-07-27 04:49:49Z
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UK heatwave: More delays for travellers despite temperatures easing - BBC News

Air passengers at two of the UK's biggest airports were hit by more disruption caused by a problem with the country's air traffic control system.

It came after Heathrow and Gatwick had already endured a day of flight cancellations and delays due to storms following this week's heatwave.

The UK air traffic controller said the situation would improve after it fixed the problem.

Rail delays caused by extreme heat also began to ease on Friday.

The Met Office said Thursday was potentially the UK's hottest ever day after it received a provisional recording of 38.7C at Cambridge Botanic Garden.

Official figures, which recorded 38.1C in Cambridge, already put Thursday as the hottest July day on record and the UK's second hottest day.

Friday was cooler than Thursday, with temperatures ranging from 23C to 25C in most areas (73F to 77F), rising to 27C in south-east England.

But flights were disrupted by storms across Europe and trains were delayed as rail companies worked to repair the damage from Thursday's extreme heat.

---

'No idea what to do'

Mark Pickering was due to fly to Singapore on his way to Sydney, but his Thursday evening flight from Heathrow was cancelled due to "spoiled" food caused by the hot weather.

He waited at the airport until 02:00 BST on Friday morning, before getting a hotel and returning at 07:00 to try again.

"I still don't know where my bags are and I've no idea what to do when I finally get to Singapore because I've missed my connecting flight by ages," he said.

"When the flight was cancelled last night there was a line of about 300 to 400 people and no-one really knew what was going on. There was one person at the check in desk."

Diane Styant, who was booked to fly on the same flight to Singapore as Mr Pickering, said she was not able to get any accommodation on Thursday night.

She said she had to sit on an upright chair in a coffee shop until 03:30, when she and her husband joined the queue in departures for rebooking.

After more than four hours, they managed to book another flight leaving on Friday.

"Our precious annual holiday to visit our family who live in Singapore has not got off well," she added.

---

A "technical problem" at Swanwick air traffic control centre on Friday morning also caused problems at Heathrow and Gatwick.

The UK's air traffic controller said in the afternoon it had "fixed the issue sufficiently to safely increase traffic flow rates".

Heathrow Airport said fewer than 100 flights, or 10% of the total, were affected during Friday.

Both Heathrow and Gatwick advised passengers to check with airlines before travelling.

British Airways said the severe thunderstorms caused "significant delays and cancellations to our operation in and out of London".

At London Liverpool Street station on Friday evening, passengers took to social media to say they faced large crowds and significant delays.

Author Erica James described the scene as "hell", while fellow rail traveller Ross Brereton warned others on Twitter to avoid the station "like the plague".

Network Rail said there were problems with two train lines from the station.

Elsewhere, there was disruption on the Midland Main Line between London St Pancras and Sheffield and on services operated by Great Northern, Thameslink, East Midlands Trains and West Midlands Trains.

West Midlands Railway said overnight work to repair damage caused delays and many trains started on Friday out of place, leading to cancellations and shorter trains.

Passengers using Eurostar services to and from Paris faced "severe disruption" due to overhead power line problems in the French capital.

Many operators said tickets for Friday could be used the following day, and offered compensation to season ticket holders who did not travel on Thursday.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: "All passengers told not to travel due to extreme weather should be entitled to claim compensation."

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49122644

2019-07-26 22:49:49Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay00OTEyMjY0NNIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNDkxMjI2NDQ

Boris Johnson: Relationship with Trump will be 'sensational', says top diplomat - BBC News

Relations between the UK and the US are going to be "sensational" now Boris Johnson is in Downing Street, America's ambassador to the UK has said.

Woody Johnson told the BBC the two had a lot in common in their leadership style and desire to "get things done".

He played down the PM's criticism of Mr Trump when he was London mayor, when he called him "stupefyingly ignorant".

And he said a no-deal Brexit would not affect the UK's ability to strike a trade deal with the US.

The US president has welcomed Mr Johnson's rise to power, saying he would do a "great job" and even suggesting he was "Britain Trump".

A supporter of Brexit, Mr Trump was critical of former Prime Minister Theresa May's negotiations with the EU.

There have also been tensions over climate change and the US president's views on race and immigration, while a recent row over the leaking of British diplomatic cables led to the resignation of Sir Kim Darroch, the UK's ambassador in Washington.

• Six foreign policy issues the UK's new PM will face
• Trump: Johnson 'will do a great job as PM'

Woody Johnson told Radio 4's Today his job was to focus on the "things we agree on".

"We're going to have bumps in the road, no question, but we are two great countries," he said.

"If we look forward optimistically between our two countries, we're going to lift all the people in this country - to independence and all the things you voted for in the referendum."

"I think that's what the president wants and what your new prime minister wants too," he added.

In 2015, Boris Johnson, as London Mayor, said Mr Trump's claim that parts of the city were "no-go areas" showed "quite stupefying ignorance" and made him unfit to be president.

But Woody Johnson suggested Mr Trump was not bothered by the comments.

"The new relationship between your new prime minister and our president... it's going to be sensational," he said. "Their leadership has a lot in common. Both have their own style but similarities - a clear vision of what they want to accomplish."

He said the UK would be at the "front of the line" for a trade deal once Brexit had happened and it was "not imperative" for the UK to leave the EU with an agreement to make progress.

"The president is going to try and move the ball forwards - the UK is our most important ally in security and prosperity. He knows that."

Irish border

Most experts believe a free trade deal with the US will take years to complete and could be beset by difficulties over issues like food standards, environmental regulations and access to healthcare services for each other's companies.

And one of the most powerful politicians in the US has said its Congress would not support any trade agreement which undermined the peace settlement in Northern Ireland.

Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, told the Irish Times there could be no return to physical border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, something Dublin has said would be inevitable if the UK left without a deal.

"We made it clear in our conversations with senior members of the Conservative Party earlier this year that there should be no return to a hard border on the island," she said.

"That position has not changed. Any trade deal between the US and Great Britain would have to be cognisant of that."

The new prime minister has not yet revealed when he will hold his first face-to-face leaders' meeting with Mr Trump.

No 10 confirmed that Mr Johnson had spoken to the French President Emmanuel Macron over the phone on Thursday and they had discussed Brexit.

A German government spokesperson also said the PM had discussed Brexit with Chancellor Angela Merkel during a phone call on Friday.

"The chancellor has invited the prime minister to visit Berlin for an early first visit," they added.

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2019-07-26 13:48:31Z
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Boris Johnson: Relationship with Trump will be 'sensational', says top diplomat - BBC News

Relations between the UK and the US are going to be "sensational" now Boris Johnson is in Downing Street, America's ambassador to the UK has said.

Woody Johnson told the BBC the two had a lot in common in their leadership style and desire to "get things done".

He played down the PM's criticism of Mr Trump when he was London mayor, when he called him "stupefyingly ignorant".

And he said a no-deal Brexit would not affect the UK's ability to strike a trade deal with the US.

The US president has welcomed Mr Johnson's rise to power, saying he would do a "great job" and even suggesting he was "Britain Trump".

A supporter of Brexit, Mr Trump was critical of former Prime Minister Theresa May's negotiations with the EU.

There have also been tensions over climate change and the US president's views on race and immigration, while a recent row over the leaking of British diplomatic cables led to the resignation of Sir Kim Darroch, the UK's ambassador in Washington.

• Six foreign policy issues the UK's new PM will face
• Trump: Johnson 'will do a great job as PM'

Woody Johnson told Radio 4's Today his job was to focus on the "things we agree on".

"We're going to have bumps in the road, no question, but we are two great countries," he said.

"If we look forward optimistically between our two countries, we're going to lift all the people in this country - to independence and all the things you voted for in the referendum."

"I think that's what the president wants and what your new prime minister wants too," he added.

In 2015, Boris Johnson, as London Mayor, said Mr Trump's claim that parts of the city were "no-go areas" showed "quite stupefying ignorance" and made him unfit to be president.

But Woody Johnson suggested Mr Trump was not bothered by the comments.

"The new relationship between your new prime minister and our president... it's going to be sensational," he said. "Their leadership has a lot in common. Both have their own style but similarities - a clear vision of what they want to accomplish."

He said the UK would be at the "front of the line" for a trade deal once Brexit had happened and it was "not imperative" for the UK to leave the EU with an agreement to make progress.

"The president is going to try and move the ball forwards - the UK is our most important ally in security and prosperity. He knows that."

Irish border

Most experts believe a free trade deal with the US will take years to complete and could be beset by difficulties over issues like food standards, environmental regulations and access to healthcare services for each other's companies.

And one of the most powerful politicians in the US has said its Congress would not support any trade agreement which undermined the peace settlement in Northern Ireland.

Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, told the Irish Times there could be no return to physical border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, something Dublin has said would be inevitable if the UK left without a deal.

"We made it clear in our conversations with senior members of the Conservative Party earlier this year that there should be no return to a hard border on the island," she said.

"That position has not changed. Any trade deal between the US and Great Britain would have to be cognisant of that."

The new prime minister has not yet revealed when he will hold his first face-to-face leaders' meeting with Mr Trump.

No 10 confirmed that Mr Johnson had spoken to the French President Emmanuel Macron over the phone on Thursday and they had discussed Brexit.

A German government spokesperson also said the PM had discussed Brexit with Chancellor Angela Merkel during a phone call on Friday.

"The chancellor has invited the prime minister to visit Berlin for an early first visit," they added.

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2019-07-26 13:32:54Z
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Boris Johnson: Relationship with Trump will be 'sensational', says top diplomat - BBC News

Relations between the UK and the US are going to be "sensational" now Boris Johnson is in Downing Street, America's ambassador to the UK has said.

Woody Johnson told the BBC the two had a lot in common in their leadership style and desire to "get things done".

He played down the PM's criticism of Mr Trump when he was London mayor, when he called him "stupefyingly ignorant".

And he said a no-deal Brexit would not affect the UK's ability to strike a trade deal with the US.

The US president has welcomed Mr Johnson's rise to power, saying he would do a "great job" and even suggesting he was "Britain Trump".

A supporter of Brexit, Mr Trump was critical of former Prime Minister Theresa May's negotiations with the EU.

There have also been tensions over climate change and the US president's views on race and immigration, while a recent row over the leaking of British diplomatic cables led to the resignation of Sir Kim Darroch, the UK's ambassador in Washington.

• Six foreign policy issues the UK's new PM will face
• Trump: Johnson 'will do a great job as PM'

Woody Johnson told Radio 4's Today his job was to focus on the "things we agree on".

"We're going to have bumps in the road, no question, but we are two great countries," he said.

"If we look forward optimistically between our two countries, we're going to lift all the people in this country - to independence and all the things you voted for in the referendum."

"I think that's what the president wants and what your new prime minister wants too," he added.

In 2015, Boris Johnson, as London Mayor, said Mr Trump's claim that parts of the city were "no-go areas" showed "quite stupefying ignorance" and made him unfit to be president.

But Woody Johnson suggested Mr Trump was not bothered by the comments.

"The new relationship between your new prime minister and our president... it's going to be sensational," he said. "Their leadership has a lot in common. Both have their own style but similarities - a clear vision of what they want to accomplish."

He said the UK would be at the "front of the line" for a trade deal once Brexit had happened and it was "not imperative" for the UK to leave the EU with an agreement to make progress.

"The president is going to try and move the ball forwards - the UK is our most important ally in security and prosperity. He knows that."

Irish border

Most experts believe a free trade deal with the US will take years to complete and could be beset by difficulties over issues like food standards, environmental regulations and access to healthcare services for each other's companies.

And one of the most powerful politicians in the US has said its Congress would not support any trade agreement which undermined the peace settlement in Northern Ireland.

Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, told the Irish Times there could be no return to physical border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, something Dublin has said would be inevitable if the UK left without a deal.

"We made it clear in our conversations with senior members of the Conservative Party earlier this year that there should be no return to a hard border on the island," she said.

"That position has not changed. Any trade deal between the US and Great Britain would have to be cognisant of that."

The new prime minister has not yet revealed when he will hold his first face-to-face leaders' meeting with Mr Trump.

No 10 confirmed that Mr Johnson had spoken to the French President Emmanuel Macron over the phone on Thursday and they had discussed Brexit.

A German government spokesperson also said the PM had discussed Brexit with Chancellor Angela Merkel during a phone call on Friday.

"The chancellor has invited the prime minister to visit Berlin for an early first visit," they added.

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2019-07-26 13:03:38Z
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Boris Johnson: Relationship with Trump will be 'sensational', says top diplomat - BBC News

Relations between the UK and the US are going to be "sensational" now Boris Johnson is in Downing Street, America's ambassador to the UK has said.

Woody Johnson told the BBC the two had a lot in common in their leadership style and desire to "get things done".

He played down the PM's criticism of Mr Trump when he was London mayor, when he called him "stupefyingly ignorant".

And he said a no-deal Brexit would not affect the UK's ability to strike a trade deal with the US.

The US president has welcomed Mr Johnson's rise to power, saying he would do a "great job" and even suggesting he was "Britain Trump".

A supporter of Brexit, Mr Trump was critical of former Prime Minister Theresa May's negotiations with the EU.

There have also been tensions over climate change and the US president's views on race and immigration, while a recent row over the leaking of British diplomatic cables led to the resignation of Sir Kim Darroch, the UK's ambassador in Washington.

• Six foreign policy issues the UK's new PM will face
• Trump: Johnson 'will do a great job as PM'

Woody Johnson told Radio 4's Today his job was to focus on the "things we agree on".

"We're going to have bumps in the road, no question, but we are two great countries," he said.

"If we look forward optimistically between our two countries, we're going to lift all the people in this country - to independence and all the things you voted for in the referendum."

"I think that's what the president wants and what your new prime minister wants too," he added.

In 2015, Boris Johnson, as London Mayor, said Mr Trump's claim that parts of the city were "no-go areas" showed "quite stupefying ignorance" and made him unfit to be president.

But Woody Johnson suggested Mr Trump was not bothered by the comments.

"The new relationship between your new prime minister and our president... it's going to be sensational," he said. "Their leadership has a lot in common. Both have their own style but similarities - a clear vision of what they want to accomplish."

He said the UK would be at the "front of the line" for a trade deal once Brexit had happened and it was "not imperative" for the UK to leave the EU with an agreement to make progress.

"The president is going to try and move the ball forwards - the UK is our most important ally in security and prosperity. He knows that."

Irish border

Most experts believe a free trade deal with the US will take years to complete and could be beset by difficulties over issues like food standards, environmental regulations and access to healthcare services for each other's companies.

And one of the most powerful politicians in the US has said its Congress would not support any trade agreement which undermined the peace settlement in Northern Ireland.

Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, told the Irish Times there could be no return to physical border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, something Dublin has said would be inevitable if the UK left without a deal.

"We made it clear in our conversations with senior members of the Conservative Party earlier this year that there should be no return to a hard border on the island," she said.

"That position has not changed. Any trade deal between the US and Great Britain would have to be cognisant of that."

The new prime minister has not yet revealed when he will hold his first face-to-face leaders' meeting with Mr Trump.

No 10 confirmed that Mr Johnson had spoken to the French President Emmanuel Macron over the phone on Thursday and they had discussed Brexit.

A German government spokesperson also said the PM had discussed Brexit with Chancellor Angela Merkel during a phone call on Friday.

"The chancellor has invited the prime minister to visit Berlin for an early first visit," they added.

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2019-07-26 12:11:45Z
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Boris Johnson: Relationship with Trump will be 'sensational', says top diplomat - BBC News

Relations between the UK and the US are going to be "sensational" now Boris Johnson is in Downing Street, America's ambassador to the UK has said.

Woody Johnson told the BBC the two had a lot in common in their leadership style and desire to "get things done".

He played down the PM's criticism of Mr Trump when he was London mayor, when he called him "stupefyingly ignorant".

And he said a no-deal Brexit would not affect the UK's ability to strike a trade deal with the US.

The US president has welcomed Mr Johnson's rise to power, saying he would do a "great job" and even suggesting he was "Britain Trump".

A supporter of Brexit, Mr Trump was critical of former Prime Minister Theresa May's negotiations with the EU.

There have also been tensions over climate change and the US president's views on race and immigration, while a recent row over the leaking of British diplomatic cables led to the resignation of Sir Kim Darroch, the UK's ambassador in Washington.

• Six foreign policy issues the UK's new PM will face
• Trump: Johnson 'will do a great job as PM'

Woody Johnson told Radio 4's Today his job was to focus on the "things we agree on".

"We're going to have bumps in the road, no question, but we are two great countries," he said.

"If we look forward optimistically between our two countries, we're going to lift all the people in this country - to independence and all the things you voted for in the referendum."

"I think that's what the president wants and what your new prime minister wants too," he added.

In 2015, Boris Johnson, as London Mayor, said Mr Trump's claim that parts of the city were "no-go areas" showed "quite stupefying ignorance" and made him unfit to be president.

But Woody Johnson suggested Mr Trump was not bothered by the comments.

"The new relationship between your new prime minister and our president... it's going to be sensational," he said. "Their leadership has a lot in common. Both have their own style but similarities - a clear vision of what they want to accomplish."

He said the UK would be at the "front of the line" for a trade deal once Brexit had happened and it was "not imperative" for the UK to leave the EU with an agreement to make progress.

"The president is going to try and move the ball forwards - the UK is our most important ally in security and prosperity. He knows that."

Irish border

Most experts believe a free trade deal with the US will take years to complete and could be beset by difficulties over issues like food standards, environmental regulations and access to healthcare services for each other's companies.

And one of the most powerful politicians in the US has said its Congress would not support any trade agreement which undermined the peace settlement in Northern Ireland.

Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, told the Irish Times there could be no return to physical border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, something Dublin has said would be inevitable if the UK left without a deal.

"We made it clear in our conversations with senior members of the Conservative Party earlier this year that there should be no return to a hard border on the island," she said.

"That position has not changed. Any trade deal between the US and Great Britain would have to be cognisant of that."

The new prime minister has not yet revealed when he will hold his first face-to-face leaders' meeting with Mr Trump.

No 10 confirmed that Mr Johnson had spoken to the French President Emmanuel Macron over the phone on Thursday and they had discussed Brexit.

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2019-07-26 09:59:45Z
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