A new incident has occurred in Europe as a fourth major airport had to close temporarily due to severe weather conditions. Budapest Airport announced that black ice and extreme icing posed increased safety risks, leading to the closure of Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. Similar closures affected Vienna Airport in Austria, Bratislava Airport in Slovakia, and Václav Havel Airport in Prague due to adverse weather conditions, causing delays and cancellations.
Vienna Airport mentioned disruptions to flights and closures of runways due to icy conditions. Bratislava Airport reopened after a brief closure but continued to experience delays. Václav Havel Airport in Prague operated in a limited mode, restricting arrivals for de-icing purposes, resulting in flight delays throughout the day. Despite efforts to increase arrivals per hour, flight cancellations and delays persisted.
The weather system sweeping across central and eastern Europe brought snow and freezing rain, causing icy conditions and widespread disruption. The Sky News weather team highlighted the wintry mix affecting several countries, potentially leading to travel disruptions at airports and roads. This incident follows Storm Goretit causing chaos in the UK, resulting in airport closures and flight cancellations.
In a separate event, extreme cold in northern Finland led to flight cancellations, leaving thousands of tourists stranded. Kittilä Airport faced challenges with aircraft de-icing due to temperatures dropping to -37°C. These weather-related incidents continue to impact air travel and operations across Europe.