More flights leaving Heathrow after disruptions (Roundup)

Dec 22, 2010, 18:14 GMT

London - Christmas travellers were given a glimpse of hope on Wednesday as London's Heathrow airport began limping back to life after snowfall brought services to a halt.

After reopening its second runway late Tuesday, Heathrow hoped to fulfil two-thirds of its business but stressed passengers should not expect an immediate return to normality.

The reopening of the runway came after Prime Minister David Cameron criticized the slow pace of a return to normality at Heathrow, one of Europe's major air traffic hubs.

Snowfall on Saturday took airport operators BAA by surprise and led to four days of closure of the runway, leaving thousands of passengers stranded or subject to lengthy delays.

As stranded passengers were put up in tents outside terminals, and many cancelling their travel plans, BAA chief Colin Matthews said removing the masses of snow from underneath parked aircraft had not been easy.

Matthews announced Wednesday that he was giving up his bonus for 2010.

'My focus is on keeping people moving and rebuilding confidence in Heathrow,' said Matthews, who reportedly earned a bonus of more than 1.3 million dollars last year.

Matthews has faced mounting criticism over recent days over the inability of Heathrow - the world's largest international airport - to cope with the snow.

In addition to passengers unable to get away for the Christmas break, thousands of others have have been stuck overseas, with no flights to bring them home.

Critics said the airport did not have a enough de-icing equipment to deal with the situation, blaming this on cost-cutting measures.