Air chaos follows Eurostar blockage

BRITONS trying to visit family in the UK for Christmas faced new setbacks yesterday as low-cost firm easyJet cancelled around 200 flights, including many to and from France, and Luton airport closed because of snow.

The air transport chaos followed massive disruptions for those using the Eurostar Channel tunnel train over the last few days after trains broke down – said to be due to melted snow affecting electric circuits.

However things are looking better today – Eurostar reopened yesterday after several days of blockage, with about two out of three trains running, transporting people with tickets from the weekend and some with tickets for Monday. Today people with tickets for yesterday should be able to travel and tomorrow those with tickets for today or tomorrow – with the aim of getting everyone to destinations on Christmas Eve. However the firm has been advising people who do not urgently need to travel to consider putting their journeys off until after Christmas when normal service should resume.

Luton airport has reopened with a limited service today and easyJet is annoucing 50 cancelled flights for today on routes including Nice – Orly, Orly – Toulouse and Toulouse – Orly.

Passengers are being asked to avoid phoning the airline and to keep checking its website for updates at Cancelled flights They are offering to swap tickets or give refunds.
Other firms, including Ryanair and BA have been warning of possible delays.

An Anglo-French study, independent of Eurostar, is to be published by the end of January, examining the reasons for the breakdown of the Channel tunnel train service and reviewing passenger care during it.

Eurostar have suggested Eurotunnel, the firm in the charge of the tunnel itself, was partly to blame. They should have provided better information for passengers inside the tunnel and a more efficient rescue service, said Eurostar president Guillaume Pepy.

Photo: Luca Mascaro