Eaglestar,
Don't go thinking straight away that
It would seem that Customer Service is no longer important to UK Airports or airlines anymore.
and don't be misled by Skylion, who is talking rubbish!
Read Gonzos reply if you want to understand (or start to) the problems involved - the pilot/cabin crew issues mentioned in TopBunk's post though quite possibly true (I can't comment, I don't work for BA) are an attempt to address some possible false allegations from Skylion.
To be really simplistic and not even mention crew time, the fact is that airports have strict guidelines for operating hours - if things get delayed by an hour, this is going to have knock on effects down route or for next sectors... airlines fly right up to the final time airport operating hours allow them... how is it possible for them to claw back the time they lose due to the runway closure?
Simple fact is they can't, so they cancel. I'm not a great fan of BA but I'll give them their dues when it comes to this and similar circumstances... they grab the bull by the horn and make a decision early, giving customers as much notice as possible. They could possibly of course manage to do a handful of the cancelled flights, if only they waited until the last minute... as a customer do you really think a last minute cancellation would be better?
