Upcoming winter storm to disrupt air travel in Germany

DPA
·2 min read
Terminal 1 at Frankfurt Rhine-Main Airport is bustling with passengers. Passenger traffic at Frankfurt Airport remained well below the level seen before the coronavirus pandemic, despite significant growth last year. Helmut Fricke/dpa
Terminal 1 at Frankfurt Rhine-Main Airport is bustling with passengers. Passenger traffic at Frankfurt Airport remained well below the level seen before the coronavirus pandemic, despite significant growth last year. Helmut Fricke/dpa

Numerous flights have been cancelled in Germany ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the southern and western parts of the country on Wednesday and Thursday.

Airline Lufthansa announced that it would run a reduced scheduled on Wednesday, operating only the most essential flights in and out of the airline's primary hubs in Frankfurt and Munich.

Both short and long-haul flights would be cancelled, a Lufthansa spokesman said. The remaining flights would fall far short of demand, he said.

The German Weather Service (DWD) has forecast heavy snowfall and freezing rain for Wednesday.

Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport, meanwhile, said that numerous flights will be delayed and cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday because of the winter weather.

Only severely restricted air traffic will be able to take place at the airport on those days, Fraport announced on Tuesday.

Frankfurt Airport is Germany's largest and most important aviation hub and is among the busiest airports in Europe. Around 1,030 arrivals and departures are scheduled at Frankfurt Airport on Wednesday alone.

Passengers should look up information about their flights ahead of time and not come to the airport if flights are cancelled, the airport operator said.

Safety is the top priority in air traffic, Fraport said.

In the event of heavy snowfall and freezing rain, crews may not be able to keep the runways free of snow and ice despite continuous winter maintenance, the company said.

Before a runway can be cleared, a safe coefficient of friction must first be proven through test runs.

A further potential issue from the weather is de-icing. The aerodynamic profile of the aircraft must not be impaired in any way by snow or ice.

Both Fraport and Lufthansa urged travellers to check the status of flights before going to the airport.

"If your flight is cancelled and you have no other confirmation for the same day, please do not come to the airport," Lufthansa said on the website.

The Lufthansa spokesman urged those travelling within Germany and nearby countries to consider taking the train instead, as weather-related restrictions will make rebooking onto other flights difficult.

Lufthansa said the situation for Thursday will be reassessed on Wednesday, although airports have also announced weather-related restrictions on aircraft handling for that day as well.