Severe icy conditions have led to the temporary closure of airports in four key central European cities, resulting in extensive travel disruptions.
The airports in Budapest, Hungary, Vienna, Austria, Bratislava, Slovakia, and Prague, Czech Republic, all underwent brief shutdowns on Tuesday morning due to freezing weather conditions.
Budapest Airport declared on Facebook that it would halt all incoming and outgoing flights from 10.25 am local time (9.25 am GMT) due to hazardous black ice. Hungary issued freezing rain and snow alerts, with ice formations observed on the Danube and Tisza rivers, as well as Lake Balaton in the west, which rarely freezes, typically occurring once every 10 to 15 years.
Vienna International Airport was also forced to close as a significant layer of ice developed on its runways, persistently freezing despite clearance attempts, according to a spokesperson. Flights were redirected to alternative airports, and Austria’s state railway company OeBB advised passengers to delay non-urgent travels due to service interruptions and cancellations.
Similarly, in Slovakia, Bratislava Airport shut down due to heavy snowfall and icy conditions, with warnings of black ice in the western areas and substantial snowfall in central and northern regions, as reported by The Slovak Spectator. Both Vienna and Bratislava airports were set to resume operations later in the morning.
Prague Airport indicated that it was functioning in a significantly limited capacity, mentioning on X: “Due to intense freezing rain, incoming flights are being restricted to allow for de-icing of the main runway, taxiways, and aircraft stands. These restrictions will result in flight delays throughout the day.”
Meanwhile, thousands of tourists found themselves stranded in northern Finland last Sunday as flights were canceled due to extreme cold. Temperatures at Kittilä Airport dropped to -37°C on Sunday morning, posing challenges for aircraft de-icing, as per Finland’s public broadcaster Yle.
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