Major airports across Central Europe were brought to a standstill on Tuesday morning as severe icy conditions and treacherous black ice forced temporary closures, leading to significant flight cancellations and delays.
Key Airports Forced to Halt Operations
Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest, Vienna International Airport, and Bratislava Airport all suspended operations on the morning of Tuesday, 13 January 2026. The primary cause was a dangerous combination of extreme icing and black ice on runways and taxiways, creating hazardous conditions for aircraft movement.
In Budapest, the situation was compounded by an incident involving a cargo plane. The nose gear of an Ethiopian Airlines freighter slipped off a taxiway onto the grass while the aircraft was taxiing, leaving it stuck. An investigation into this incident is currently ongoing.
Struggle to Restart and Ongoing Disruption
Airport authorities worked tirelessly to clear the ice and resume services. Vienna International Airport, where runways were covered in a thick, repeatedly refreezing layer of ice, announced plans to restart departures from 11am local time (10am UK time). Arrivals were scheduled to resume from noon (11am UK time).
Budapest Airport ceased all flight arrivals and departures from 10.25am local time (9.25am UK time), advising passengers to monitor its online platforms for live updates. Meanwhile, Prague Airport in the Czech Republic was operating in a "very limited mode" due to freezing rain, with de-icing efforts concentrated on the main runway. The airport warned of ongoing delays and limited arrivals throughout the day.
Widespread Winter Weather Across the Continent
The airport chaos is part of a broader wintry spell affecting much of Europe. A mix of snow, ice, and freezing rain is impacting parts of:
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Hungary
- Romania
Further north, heavy snow is forecast for southern Norway and Sweden, while significant snowfall is also expected in Turkey and surrounding regions. Closer to home, the Met Office has indicated that snowfall is becoming more likely across the UK as the risk of freezing rain decreases, with a yellow warning for ice remaining in place for Scotland.
Passengers with travel plans to or from affected regions are strongly urged to check their flight status directly with their airline before heading to the airport, as disruption is expected to continue for much of the day.
