Bristol Airport (BRS) saw flight delays, cancellations and diversions over the weekend after it suspended flights from just after 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7, until 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, Aug.8. The airport halted Friday flights after discovering a defect on the runway which had to be inspected and repaired overnight, with flight disruptions throughout the weekend after the runway reopened.
Weekend flight disruptions
Friday flights due to land at Bristol were diverted to other British airports including Cardiff, London Gatwick and Birmingham, with all flights taking off from Bristol Airport cancelled.
The resulting backlog caused significant flight delays after the runway opened again on Saturday, with scenes of long queues and travellers awaiting updates on the status of their flights.
A Bristol Airport spokesperson told The Independent:
“We realise how frustrating this was for all those affected, but the safety of our customers and staff is of paramount importance, which is why runway operations were temporarily suspended. Repairs took place throughout the night to repair the defect.”
Travellers Frustrated
Travellers affected by disruptions took to local and national news outlets to air their frustrations, with one telling the BBC it had been “a shambles”.
Another traveller described the flight delays to WalesOnline saying:
“There’s people sprawled out on the floor – never seen anything like it in my life.”
This incident is not the only recent disruption to air travel in the United Kingdom (UK), with a grass fire at London’s Heathrow Airport on Aug. 6 briefly affecting flights.
Were you affected by disruptions at Bristol Airport? Tell us in the comments below!
