Irish passengers stranded in Europe
Last night Dublin Airport suspended flights for most of the evening following heaving snowfalls yesterday afternoon.
Passengers were being advised to consult their airline before travelling to the airport due to knock-on delays from other European airports.
Britain’s largest airport Heathrow a well as Gatwick Airport were particularly hard hit by snow and ice. Both were closed to all inbound flights with only a handful of departures permitted.
At Heathrow, only one-third of flights will operate until 6am tomorrow. The airport said delays and cancellations could last beyond Christmas Day. Other airports across Britain were also affected.
As passengers struggled to get a flight at Heathrow, British Transport Secretary Philip Hammond promised an inquiry into how services had virtually ground to a halt. Airports across France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands were also hit. All flights from Brussels were grounded from yesterday evening until tomorrow because of a lack of deicing liquid.
Ryanair put on a number of extra flights yesterday to clear the backlog, while Aer Arann was forced to cancel a number its services including Knock to Dublin, Sligo to Dublin and Dublin to Sligo.
Aer Lingus and Ryanair were forced to cancel flights to and from affected European airports. Both airlines advised customers to check the status of their flights before departing for the airport.
A spokesperson for Aer Lingus said the airline was doing all it could to minimise the disruption.
Given the disappointment with continued flight cancellations and delays, Stena Line said it has had a big rise in passengers travelling on its Irish Sea routes in the last few days, and is reminding people that there is still availability between now and Christmas.
