It has been reported that the runway at the UK's largest air base ‘melted’ because of the heatwave preventing flights in or out of it. The decision to stop all flights at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire was taken on Monday morning, according to sources cited by Sky News.
Planes are reportedly using alternative airfields. Brize Norton is the sole point of air embarkation for Britain’s military forces, with transport aircraft relying on the runway to ferry troops 24/7, 365 days a year.
A total of 22 squadrons made up of 5,800 personnel are required to keep the flights running.
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"During this period of extreme temperature flight safety remains the RAF’s top priority, so aircraft are using alternative airfields in line with a long-established plan. This means there is no impact on RAF operations," the Royal Air Force said of flights at RAF Brize Norton, in a statement posted on Twitter by the Ministry of Defence.
Two scheduled departures had already been delayed due to the heat prior to the decision, according to RAF flight data. An Airbus A332 Voyager originally due to fly to an undisclosed location on Sunday was held back until Monday but has now been postponed indefinitely.
A Boeing 737 operated due to fly to Cyprus on Tuesday has been postponed to Wednesday. It is not clear whether the new departure time takes account of the latest problems with the runway.
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