Munich Airport reopens
Munich Airport has reopened with a severely reduced flight schedule after it was forced to close following a barrage of extreme wintry weather. Freezing rain hit the German[1] city, forcing the airport to temporarily cancel or postpone all flights on Tuesday morning. The airport, which resumed operations at midday, told Sky News a total of 100 take-offs and landings were planned for today - significantly less than usual.
Flights to Vienna, Boston and Doha have departed, while others to London, Paris and Amsterdam have been cancelled.
Image: Freezing rain suspended operations
Image: Workers clear a towable passenger staircase from snowIt urged passengers to contact their airline before travelling to find out the flight's status and to avoid rebooking at the airport due to "insufficient capacity available". The country's second-biggest airport earlier said the ice on its runways and apron - where aircraft are stationed - was "extreme", adding that there was "a thick layer of ice as smooth as glass".
The suspensions come after all flights at the airport were grounded on Saturday as heavy snowfall blanketed the city and the southern state of Bavaria.
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Image: The airport was also closed on Saturday due to heavy snowAdverse weather wreaked chaos in the state with car collisions reported and train connections affected.
Advertisement Two people died in a crash between a car and a tractor in Upper Bavaria, reportedly due to frozen rain on the road's surface. Meanwhile, the A99 motorway near Munich was closed in both directions after 13 vehicles were reportedly involved in a mass accident.
In Saxony, one student was killed in a crash involving a school bus in the Erzgebirge mountains. At least 10 others were taken to hospital, while two adults including the bus driver were seriously hurt. Train operator Deutsche Bahn said there would be disruption in the Munich area for several days.
Germany's neighbours Austria and Switzerland have also experienced heavy snowfall affecting public transport, raising concerns about possible avalanches.
References
- ^ German (news.sky.com)
- ^ Weather in pictures: Snow blankets parts of UK (news.sky.com)
- ^ Police deal with hostage situation at German airport (news.sky.com)