Britain’s Queen Elizabeth’s funeral is a day ahead and it is expected that flights to and from London’s busiest Heathrow airport will be rescheduled to pay respect during the state funeral procession.
A statement from Heathrow Airport says:
“As a mark of respect, operations to and from the airport will be subject to appropriate changes in order to avoid noise disruption at certain locations at specific times on Monday.”
And now there are clearer details regarding the flight affected at Heathrow Airport on September 19. Authorities from Heathrow Airport told that there will be only 15% of the flight affected during the state funeral tomorrow. This means about 180 flights will be either canceled or delayed.
British Airways has also announced there will be over 100 short-haul flights, mostly domestic and intra-European routes that are going to be affected on Monday.
Queen’s State Funeral “Air Silence”
Britain’s carriers British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have reached an agreement with the Royal Household to pay respect at the following times:
- From 1140 ~ 1220: There will be no aircraft moving
- From 1345 ~ 1420: No arrivals
- From 1505 ~ 1645: No departures
- From 1645 ~ 2100: Reduced departures
Other Foreign Carriers To/From Heathrow
With British carriers reducing flights to pay respect during the funeral, foreign carriers such as Qatar Airways and Emirates will continue operation but I believe the airlines will reroute to avoid the airspace right above Westminster during the state funeral procession.
United, Finnair, and Etihad canceled some of their flights tomorrow so passengers will definitely get impacted by their travel.
How to Check If Your Flights Got Affected
Usually, when your flights are either delayed or canceled, the airline will contact you or at least send an email regarding the disruption due to several reasons. The airline will arrange the best available options to accomodate the passenger on the next available flights.
Heathrow Airport said:
“Passengers affected by these changes will be contacted directly by their airlines about their travel plans and the options available to them. Passengers who have been notified that their flight has been cancelled, and/or do not have a confirmed seat on a flight, should not turn up to the airport.”
And if the flights are not accommodated, you can also request compensation under several compensation rules.
Summary
Tomorrow, September 19, 2022, Heathrow Airport will reschedule flights as Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral will take place. Expect domestic and short-haul flights to be either delayed or scheduled.
To follow up if your flights got affected, you can directly contact the airline you’re flying in/out to London in order to avoid confusion.
