Winter Wonderland Woes: UK Airports Gripped by Snow and Ice Disruptions for Travelers

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Numerous holidaymakers set to fly this morning are encountering travel disarray due to substantial snowfall that has grounded flights across UK airports.

A yellow alert for snow and ice was issued by the Met Office for various regions in the UK, encompassing Wales, south west and north west England, until 10am today (7 January).

“Icy patches and sleet/snow showers emerging overnight are causing some interruptions, particularly to travel,” cautioned the Met Office yesterday.

The runway at Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport has now reopened after being closed for “snow removal and anti-icing” until 10:30am.

An airport representative stated: “Our runway is now operational again, and flights should soon be resuming. Safety is our highest concern, and we appreciate the patience of passengers while we removed the snow and ice.”

“The earlier closure of the runway has resulted in numerous flights being delayed, and we advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest information concerning specific flights.”

Travelers in Scotland have also experienced cancellations or delays due to “persistent freezing conditions” at Aberdeen Airport.

The airport in north east Scotland declared: “Our teams have been working throughout the night to clear snow and de-ice the runways. Continuous freezing conditions have necessitated a halt to operations.”

Flights have now recommenced at Aberdeen Airport, with passengers advised to verify the status of their flight with their airline and to “exercise extra caution” while heading to the airport.

Read more: UK weather live: Two airports stop flights as numerous flood alerts issued and additional snow predicted

At Bristol Airport, flights are departing and arriving according to schedule after overnight snowfall had temporarily suspended operations earlier this morning.

The aviation hub in the south west posted on X/Twitter: “Passenger announcement: due to ongoing weather circumstances, all flights have been temporarily suspended until 07:30; further updates will be provided as information becomes available.”

By 8am, travelers slated to depart from Bristol were informed that “all flights are now operational” and were advised to consult their airline for the latest updates.

Intense snowfall has also briefly halted operations at Manchester Airport for the third consecutive day, with delays to several departures and arrivals expected to persist throughout Tuesday.

Numerous flights were diverted from Manchester to other northern airports, with at least 16 planes redirected between 10pm and 1am.

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