Even though airport officials knew the bad weather was coming, Heathrow did not trim its Saturday flight schedule.
British Transport Secretary Philip Hammond told Parliament that BAA, which runs Heathrow, said that it should have cut the number of flights coming in and out of the airport Saturday to have been fewer aircraft stuck when the snow began falling, the Guardian reported.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Heathrow typically operates at 98 percent capacity, which leaves a narrow window for runway clearings, even under normal circumstances. When delays stack up like they have this week, the domino effect is severe and fast.
