LONDON, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Thick fog Wednesday forced the cancellation of nearly 200 flights from Heathrow and other airports in England and Wales.
British Airways was hardest hit, with some 160 flight cancellations, most of them to domestic locations, Sky News said. Lufthansa and Alitalia also canceled flights, as air traffic controllers reduced the number of take-offs and landings by 50 percent.
Making matters worse for travelers during the Christmas season, British Airways warned in a statement the fog is expected to persist for another two days, the BBC reported.
The fog also forced British Airways to cancel 18 flights at London's Gatwick airport, although an official there said the freezing fog was not as bad there as at Heathrow.
At Cardiff International Airport, a number of flights were delayed or diverted to Bristol, while several flights in and out of Liverpool John Lennon Airport were canceled.
