According to The Daily Mail, airlines are accusing Heathrow of not having enough de-icing fluid to keep the runways and other areas of the tarmac open and functioning.
The Financial Times reported that Gatwick Airport brought in extra snow plows, which allowed it to get its runways open a full day earlier than Heathrow, and that its owner, GIP, has invested £1 million (about $1.5 million) on snow-clearing equipment since it acquired Gatwick from the owners of Heathrow a year ago. GIP also plans to invest an additional £8 million ($12.5 million) in order to grow its snow plow fleet from 47 to 95.
Meanwhile, BAA, which owns Heathrow, pledged to spend £3 million (more than $4.5 million) to increase its own snow clearance fleet, which currently has 69 vehicles.
It's clear from travelers' outrage that Heathrow authorities cut costs at the expense of travelers' convenience. "One has to assume that BAA made a cold but incorrectly calculated decision at some earlier point to economize on its snow handling capabilities. That decision needs to now have consequences," wrote David Rowell on the blog "The Travel Insider."
