MONTREAL, Dec. 18 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada advises that due to severe winter storm conditions in England that have temporarily closed London Heathrow airport there will be delays and cancellations of London and other trans-Atlantic flights, as well as an impact on connecting flights within Europe over the next days.  

"Air Canada is doing everything it can to ensure that customers arrive safely at their destination and that those whose travel has been disrupted are taken care of. We appreciate that at this time of year travel has special importance so we are taking all measures to maintain our schedule and recover when delays or cancellations are forced upon us by the severe weather, which has resulted in  the closure of Heathrow, our largest international destination and key connection point," said Duncan Dee, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.  

Air Canada diverted to Paris three London-bound flights on the morning of Saturday, December 18 and is working to reposition the aircraft as soon as it can safely do so. It has also cancelled most of its London-bound operation for the evening of Saturday, December 18. Further delays and cancellations are expected. Due to heavy holiday passenger loads and slot constraints at London Heathrow, Air Canada has limited ability to immediately protect passengers whose flights are affected. Air Canada asks passengers to postpone non-essential travel and is waiving change and cancellation fees for those who wish to reschedule on affected routes.

Customers with flights to or from affected areas are advised to check on the status of their flight prior to leaving for the airport by consulting the Air Canada website at aircanada.com, or by calling Air Canada's automated flight information system at 1-888-422-7533, or by using a web-enhanced cell phone.

In order to facilitate changes to travel plans, Air Canada has revised its ticketing policy for customers booked on flights that are subject to cancellation. Those customers wishing to make alternate travel arrangements can do so without penalty, space permitting, by contacting Air Canada Reservations toll free in Canada and the U.S. at 888-247-2262; TTY: 1-800-361-8071 or Air Canada Reservations worldwide. Due to increased call centre volume, wait times may be longer than usual.