European airports

Snow causes flight cancellations to Vienna and Graz

Aircraft stand on the tarmac at Schiphol Airport during a snowfall in Amsterdam on January 5, 2025. The airport warned of delays and cancellations due to the snowfall.(Bild: APA/AFP/ANP/Nickelas Kok)

The winter weather is causing air traffic restrictions and flight cancellations at many European airports. A flight to Graz with Air Dolomiti and another flight to Vienna, both of which were due to depart from Munich on Sunday, have been canceled as a precautionary measure. Important at the moment: Travelers should check with the airlines about their flights. 

The decision by the airlines to cancel the flights was made on Saturday "as a precautionary measure". Other airports in Germany, Switzerland and Great Britain were also affected. There were no problems at Vienna-Schwechat for the time being.

According to Munich, one runway is currently open and the other is being cleared. In addition to the "restriction of capacity", visibility is reduced during snowfall, which is why the distances between take-offs and landings are being increased. According to the spokesperson, aircraft also have to be de-iced. It initially remained unclear how long the weather-related restrictions would last. Travelers should contact the airlines for information about their flights. According to previous information, the flights to Austria that were affected included one from Air Dolomiti to Graz and a Vienna flight operated by AUA.

120 cancellations in Frankfurt
The winter weather with snowfall, sleet and freezing rain also caused restrictions at Frankfurt Airport. Of the 1,090 take-offs and landings planned for the course of the day on Sunday, 120 were canceled, said a spokesperson for airport operator Fraport. Two flights to Vienna were also affected, according to the website. Because runways had to be cleared and visibility was poor, the airport's capacity was limited.

SERVICE: Current information on departures

• Munich: Departure information at Munich Airport
• Frankfurt: Departures at Frankfurt Airport
• Stuttgart: Current departures at Stuttgart Airport
• Zurich: Flight information at Zurich Airport

The de-icing of the aircraft is also taking longer due to the weather conditions. The spokesperson advised passengers to check their flights with their airline and, if necessary, to allow more time for their journey to the airport. Fraport had already warned in advance of possible flight cancellations due to the weather conditions.

Rail traffic also affected
The winter weather is also having an impact on rail traffic. "Winter weather conditions in the Frankfurt(M) area are currently causing disruptions to Deutsche Bahn's long-distance services. This is resulting in long delays as well as partial and canceled trains," Deutsche Bahn announced.

Because airplanes have to be de-iced, there were also delays at Stuttgart Airport on Sunday morning. Seven planes have been delayed so far, said an airport spokeswoman. The runway had already been cleared by the winter road clearance service and was operational. Landings were reportedly already taking place in the morning. Travelers should check online to find out when their planes will arrive or take off.

Aircraft stand on the runway at Schiphol Airport during a snowfall in Amsterdam on January 5, 2025. The airport warned of delays and cancellations due to the snowfall.(Bild: APA/AFP/ANP/Nickelas Kok)

Snow chaos also in the UK
Unpleasant winter weather with plenty of snow and freezing rain also led to power cuts, traffic accidents and flight cancellations in the UK. On Sunday morning, the airports in Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds temporarily closed their runways due to heavy snowfall. Some flights had to be diverted to other airports over the weekend.

On Saturday evening, there were power cuts in the regions around Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, according to the British grid operator National Grid. Weather warnings were in place in many parts of the United Kingdom and numerous roads were closed. Rail services were also affected in places.

Switzerland also affected
Snowfall and freezing rain also severely disrupted air traffic at Zurich Airport on Saturday evening. The problems continued until Sunday morning. A total of over 50 flights were canceled. On Saturday evening from around 6.30 p.m., 40 flights were canceled, explained the airport's operations control center on request. Over a dozen more flights were then canceled on Sunday.

While the weather had caused difficulties on Saturday, on Sunday it was a matter of "subsequent consequences". For example, some aircraft crews were missing because they were stuck at other airports due to the weather. By midday on Sunday, all three scheduled flights to Vienna were able to take off, albeit with delays.