Heavy snowfall on Friday morning led to the suspension of operations at Vienna-Schwechat Airport and significant disruptions at Munich Airport. In the Austrian capital, 20 centimeters of fresh snow fell, forcing the cancellation of over 150 flights. Although flight operations were restored around noon, meteorological services warn of further disruptions despite a forecasted weekend warming and the arrival of a spring front.

Transport Paralysis in Vienna

The suspension of flights at Vienna-Schwechat Airport affected 13,000 people and caused the cancellation of 150 flights due to 20 cm of snow.

Disruptions in Munich

Munich Airport struggled with delays, but by the afternoon, air traffic was fully restored to normal.

Sudden Temperature Rise

Weekend forecasts predict a radical weather change and a temperature increase to 15 degrees Celsius, which will cause rapid snowmelt.

Powerful snowstorms that hit Central Europe on Thursday night paralyzed key transport hubs in Austria and southern Germany. The most difficult situation occurred at Vienna-Schwechat Airport, where a layer of 20 cm of snow led to the decision to temporarily halt all takeoffs and landings. According to official airport authority statements, a total of over 150 flights were canceled, directly affecting about 13,000 passengers. The national carrier Austrian Airlines had to cancel nearly 100 connections. It was only around 12:00 that the first aircraft managed to take off, but passengers must still expect multi-hour delays. Alpine regions of Austria and Germany historically struggle with sudden winter onslaughts, but the intensity of snowfall in such a short time often exceeds the operational capabilities of runway snow-clearing systems, as happened, among other times, during the memorable paralysis in December 2023. The situation in Munich was equally tense, although local services managed to control the effects of the storm more quickly. An airport spokesperson reported that after morning disruptions, traffic is now proceeding according to schedule. However, road transport was not spared problems – in Bavaria and Lower Austria, numerous road collisions occurred due to black ice. In the upper parts of the Alps, including in the Glacier 3000 region, snowfall of around 184 cm of snow was recorded over a week, leading to the formation of gigantic, four-meter snowdrifts. Despite the current chaos, forecasters from the DWD announce a dramatic turn of events. Already on Sunday, temperatures in some regions are expected to rise to 15 degrees Celsius, bringing thaw and rain. Canceled Flights and Number of Passengers: Canceled flights (total): 150, Austrian Airlines flights: 100, Passengers (thousands): 13 20 cm — this much snow fell in one night at Vienna Airport Course of Transport Paralysis: February 20, 06:00 — Suspension of Operations; February 20, 09:00 — First Attempts to Resume; February 20, 12:00 — Traffic Resumption; February 22 — Forecasted Warming

Mentioned People

  • Peter Kleemann — Spokesperson for Vienna-Schwechat Airport.