Travel alert: Budapest, Vienna, and Bratislava airports face mass closures
Severe winter weather, including heavy snowfall and freezing rain, has paralyzed transport networks across several Central European countries.
Major airports in Budapest, Vienna, and Bratislava reported temporary closures on Tuesday, while emergency services in Prague struggle to treat a surge in ice-related injuries.
Aviation gridlock in Hungary and Slovakia
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport was forced to suspend operations until midday due to extreme freezing rain. Katalin Valentínyi, Deputy CEO for Corporate Communication, confirmed that eight flights were diverted to Belgrade, Zagreb, or Graz, while five other flights were canceled entirely.
Similarly, Bratislava Airport in Slovakia halted all traffic until noon. Main arterial roads in the Slovak capital remain blocked, leaving commuters and emergency vehicles stranded in treacherous conditions.
Prague emergency services overwhelmed
In the Czech Republic, the focus has shifted from travel delays to a public health crisis. Prague’s hospitals are reporting a rapid influx of patients suffering from fractures and spinal injuries caused by the ice glaze.
Jiri Karasek, head of the Emergency Service, noted that over 30 people were treated for fall-related injuries in just a few hours. "Since the weather shifted at 6:00 AM, the increase in casualties has been rapid," Karasek stated.
Travel chaos at Prague and Vienna airports
At Prague’s Václav Havel Airport, officials have limited arrivals to just two per hour. Jiri Hannich, a spokesperson for the airport, described this as a "standard restriction" for extreme weather. Travelers reported significant confusion, with many forced to cancel business meetings and hotel reservations.
Austria has not been spared, as Vienna International Airport faced temporary closures and the disruption of approximately 140 flights. Rail services across the region remain unreliable, with numerous cancellations reported at major train stations, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
