Passengers flying to Bristol Airport this morning were diverted around the country after low cloud made it impossible for pilots to land. Affected passengers faced diversions to Manchester, Birmingham, and Gatwick after arriving from a three-hour flight.
Bristolians returning from Malaga this morning faced a longer flight and return journey after being diverted to London Gatwick, while others returning from Poznan in Poland were taken north to Manchester, before making their journey home. Another Polish flight and a German flight were also diverted to Birmingham because of the low cloud.
When approaching an airport, to ensure the safety of the aircraft and its occupants, there is a minimum visibility in which planes are allowed to land. This is determined by the visibility on the ground and, to a certain extent, how low the cloud is.
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The pilots were diverted due to a Low Visibility Order, which is automatically put in place when low clouds are seen at under 500ft and where meteorological visibility reaches 1200m. This is the general rule for most UK airfields, but due to Bristol Airport's higher-than-typical altitude, it sees more low cloud than most.
A spokesperson for Bristol Airport said: "There were some diversions of arriving flights this morning due to very low visibility. This has now cleared, but a small number of flights may be delayed as aircraft are repositioned. Passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling."
You can check the live status of departure and arrivals at Bristol Airport on their website.
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