LONDON - British Airways cancelled 44 flights Wednesday from two London airports as snow and freezing weather swept much of the country. Hundreds of passengers were left stranded after British Airways cancelled 36 flights out of Heathrow airport and eight from Gatwick, affecting domestic, European and long-haul destinations.

A spokeswoman for the company said: "We are asking customers booked to fly on these services not to come to the airport but to call the airline to either get a refund or rebook."

The freezing weather also caused disruption on the roads, with the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), a national motorists' organisation, taking a call every three seconds from drivers needing help. A RAC spokesman said many were from drivers whose vehicles had skidded off the road. "By the end of today we are expecting to have taken over 16,000 calls for assistance," the spokesman said.

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