Manchester Airport is facing major delays and some cancellations after it was forced to close its runways in the early hours of Tuesday morning due to heavy snowfall overnight
Manchester Airport is facing heavy delays of around 100 minutes and some cancellations due to snow.
The majority of flights at Manchester Airport are facing heavy delays following snow overnight, which forced the airport to close its runways in the early hours of this morning to grit and clear paths, walkways and car parks across the airport.
Some flights are facing longer delays including a flight to Amsterdam, The Netherlands which is currently delayed by two hours and 25 minutes. A number of flights including to Stockholm in Sweden, Oslo in Norway and London Heathrow have been cancelled and arrivals are also delayed.
A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said at 9.30am: “Our runways remain open, but some arrivals and departures may still be subject to delays as a result of the earlier closure due to heavy snow in the early hours of this morning. Passengers due to travel today are advised to check with their airlines for the latest information regarding their flights.
“We also recommend all passengers should plan their travel to the airport, allow extra time, make sure they are dressed for the weather and pack supplies for their journey, including snacks and a phone charger. The safety of our passengers is always our top priority and we thank you for your patience, and all our teams for their hard work in getting our runways open again.”
At 1.40am Manchester Airport announced that its runways were closed temporarily due to “heavy snow” and were later reopened at 5am but that “as a result of the earlier closure, some departures and arrivals may still experience delays”. The airporter also urged travellers to check with their airline for the latest updates and to allow extra time for their journey to the airport.
Manchester Airport also had to close its runways for periods on January 5 and 6 due to snow. National Rail services to Manchester Airport are also experiencing delays due to “a fault with the signalling system”. National Rail’s website states: “Trains still may be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised. Disruption is expected until 15:00.”
The airport, which is the UK’s biggest outside of London, has over 20 miles of runways and taxiways. Manchester Airport uses forecasting systems to monitor air pressure around the airfield and the precise level of clouds, which helps staff at the airport to gauge when snow is likely.
In addition, the airport has a dedicated 100-person resilience team trained in different roles around the airport, has specialist snow and ice clearing vehicles and uses de-icing fluid to clear runways, as grit is corrosive and therefore can damage the aircraft.
Bristol Airport was forced to suspend all of its flights this morning after snow battered the area, sparking major travel chaos – with passengers facing delays for several hours. The airport was back up and running before midday.