Zurich Airport cancels 70 flights due to thunderstorms
Thunderstorms caused Zurich Airport to cancel some 70 flights and divert more than 30 aircraft from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning. Many passengers were unable to begin their journeys and had to spend the night at the airport.
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Zurich Airport cancels 70 flights due to thunderstorms
By 7:00 on Wednesday morning, 70 flights had been cancelled, according to a spokeswoman for Zurich Airport. However, flight operations had commenced as normal.
On Tuesday evening, more than 30 aircraft en route to Zurich had been diverted to other airports such as Stuttgart, Geneva or Basel. As a result, there was now a shortage of aircraft and crews on Wednesday, the spokeswoman said.
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The prolonged thunderstorms directly over the airport had already led to extended operational disruptions the previous evening. As a result, 44 flights were initially cancelled, comprising 24 landings and 20 take-offs.
A special exemption was granted for the period after the official close of operations at 11:30 pm. This allowed a further 14 aircraft to arrive and 15 to depart.
Numerous passengers were unable to begin their journeys and had to remain at the airport. They were looked after and some were provided with overnight kits. The service counters, as well as security and border controls, remained open for longer. Travellers were advised in the morning to check with their airline regarding the status of their flights.
Translated from German, sub-edited by jdp
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