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| Weather Causes Heavy Disruptions at European Airports |
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(Toronto, December 21, 2010)… Heavy snowfall over the weekend has caused severe disruption at several European airports, with London's Heathrow being the worst affected. Heathrow closed both its runways on Saturday, December 18, and remained closed on Sunday as the airport authority attempted to make its runways safe for operation. One runway opened on Monday morning with the airport operating very limited arrivals and departures. The disruption is set to continue as further snow flurries and freezing fog are expected this week.
The severe weather has also affected operations at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris with up to 40% of flights cancelled. Italy's Florence airport was also closed following heavy snowstorms. Despite its runway not being affected by snow and ice, Frankfurt airport cancelled hundreds of flights due to the problems facing other European airports and the displacement of aircraft and crew. Rail and road travel across Europe is also severely disrupted due to the icy conditions.
Air Canada has advised they are currently only able to operate one-third of their normal schedule to London due to restrictions at LHR and their ability to increase capacity is very limited due to slot constraints. They have asked shippers to refrain from tendering cargo destined for or transiting through London Heathrow until further notice. Winter weather is also affecting other European stations, notably Paris, where airport conditions imposed lengthy delays or cancellations.
British Airways has advised that the weather continues to cause significant disruptions to their operations at London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports. The next few days look to be challenging for their UK operations. As a result, there is an embargo in place for all freight until further notice. As flights resume and the embargo is lifted, BA hopes to clear backlogs as quickly as possible. Each BA World Cargo Americas location is managing the drop off and pick up on a station by station basis.
AF-KLM Cargo has advised that operations at Charles de Gaulle and Schiphol resumed after disruptions due to extreme winter weather conditions. Flight operations to and from AF-KLM hubs are being resumed following the schedule as much as possible, but some delays might occur. Trucking schedules throughout Europe are still hampered due to road limitations. Priority will be given to ship all cargo already accepted in their warehouses. All other shipments will be rebooked on first possible flights.
For more information please call (905) 882-4880 Jaime Cruz, Manager, Transportation Consulting Services.
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