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Thousands of tourists stranded in Europe as airports closed over icy conditions

Icy conditions in central Europe caused staff to close Vienna International Airport until at least 11 a.m. (1000 GMT) on Tuesday, and Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport also limited operations

Our Web Desk, Reuters
Published 13.01.26, 03:39 PM

Bratislava's airport was closed due to weather conditions until 11:15 a.m. (1015 GMT) on Tuesday, the airport said on its Facebook account.

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A drone view shows a residential area covered in snow, during a sunny winter day after heavy snowfall, in Zakopane, Poland, January 12, 2026. Reuters picture

Icy conditions in central Europe caused staff to close Vienna International Airport until at least 11 a.m. (1000 GMT) on Tuesday, and Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport also limited operations.

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An Air China plane is seen on the snow-covered tarmac at the Paris CDG Terminal 1 of the Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, in Roissy-en-France, near Paris, as traffic is disrupted and some flights cancelled due to winter weather with snow and cold temperatures hitting a part of the country, France, January 7, 2026. Reuters picture
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A thick layer of ice had formed on runways in Vienna and kept freezing up again after efforts to clear it, a spokesperson said. Flights being diverted to other airports, they added.

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People look at departures screens showing delayed and cancelled flights at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, as snowfall causes disruptions to air, rail and road traffic in the Netherlands, in Schiphol, Netherlands January 6, 2026. Reuters picture

Freezing rain had left Prague Airport operating in a "very limited mode", according to a message on its X account.

Delays were expected through the day and arrivals were being restricted as staff worked to de-ice the main runway, it added.

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A drone view shows a ferry on the frozen Lake Balaton near Szantod, Hungary, January 12, 2026. Reuters picture

Budapest airport was temporarily closed due to black ice and extreme icing, the airport said in a statement on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

Heavy snowfall, high winds and icy roads have made travel difficult in parts of Europe.

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A drone view shows a child pulling his sled in Budapest, Hungary, January 7, 2026. Reuters picture

In Germany, train passengers were still experiencing long delays and cancellations Sunday after rail operator Deutsche Bahn shut down all service in the north of the country on Friday due to strong snowfall.

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A young woman embraces a snow man on top of the Feldberg mountain near Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. AP/PTI picture

Thousands of tourists have been stranded in Finland's Lapland as a severe cold spell has grounded flights out of one of its airports.

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People enjoy the snow in Spittal of Glenshee, Scotland, Britain, January 11, 2026. Reuters picture

Departures from Lapland's Kittila airport that would have ferried winter travellers back to places like London, Bristol, Manchester, Paris and Amsterdam were all cancelled on Sunday as temperatures did not go above -35C on Sunday.

The extreme cold makes it hard to de-ice planes, while maintenance and refuelling equipment on the ground can freeze.

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Snow covers the A924 road in Perthshire near Straloch, Scotland, Britain, January 11, 2026. Reuters picture

The unusual cold in Lapland comes as a storm passing over northern Europe has brought wintry conditions and travel disruption to the UK, France and Germany.

A man was killed after a tree fell on his caravan in England, while around 100,000 homes were without power in France on Saturday.

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