Manchester Airport has temporarily closed both its runways due to heavy snow, leaving tens of thousands of travellers facing the prospect of having their travel plans wrecked.
Intercontinental arrivals have been diverted to London Heathrow and Birmingham airports, with many passengers now set to miss connecting flights.
A statement from the airport, published at 6:20am, said: “Following a period of heavy snowfall, we have temporarily closed both runways.
“Health and safety will always be our top priority and operations will resume at the earliest opportunity. Passengers are advised to contact their airline for the most up-to-date flight information.”
Temperatures languished below freezing in all parts of the country on Thursday morning as the airport announced the closures.
More than a dozen flights scheduled to have already departed this morning remain grounded, while others have seen their departure times delayed.
The situation showed little sign of improving, with a further update at 7:40am saying: “Our runways remain closed as we continue to clear the airfield following a fresh snow deposit in the last hour.”
It comes just a month after a severe cold snap brought air travel to a halt, with snow and ice forcing runway closures at multiple airports and causing hundreds of flights to be grounded.
Weather alerts for snow and ice are currently in force across much of the UK, including in Manchester, with forecasters having warned people to brace for travel disruption.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued its second-strongest alert for cold weather, warning of conditions in England that “could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services”.
More follows….
