Heavy snowfall has wreaked havoc across the UK over the weekend, bringing widespread disruption to air travel. Several major airports have experienced significant delays and cancellations, with some forced to temporarily close their runways.
The UK Met Office issued amber weather warnings for snow across northern England and parts of Wales and the Midlands.
Up to forty centimetres of snowfall on ground above 300 metres was forecast.
Temporary Closures at Several UK Airports
Several Midlands airports, including Manchester, Liverpool John Lennon, Birmingham, Newcastle and Leeds Bradford, experienced runway closures due to heavy snowfall. This led to flight delays and cancellations. Several flights initiated diversions as Midlands airports closed for runway clearing operations.
Disruption of other public transportation networks added to the challenging conditions. Both Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport were reopened by late Sunday morning. Leeds Bradford Airport was closed across Sunday morning.
Newcastle International Airport similarly experienced heavy and continuous snowfall with teams working across the site to clear it. The airport maintained communication and updates via its social media channels.
The Impact of the Heavy Snowfall
- Widespread travel disruption: Passengers have faced significant delays and cancellations, causing widespread travel disruption.
Several flights to Manchester were diverted during the three-and-a-half-hour airport closure. Diversion airports included Paris, Dublin and Glasgow. Singapore Airlines flight SQ52 from Singapore Changi Airport made two attempts to reach Manchester. Each time, it was diverted to London Gatwick Airport.
- Road closures and power outages: Heavy snowfall has also impacted road travel, with some areas experiencing road closures and power outages.
Cirium, the aviation analytics firm, has revealed the number of current flight cancellations across the UK.
Flight Cancellations 5 January 2025:
152 flights were cancelled departing UK airports – 6% of all scheduled departures
A further 136 arriving flights were also cancelled – 5% of scheduled arrivals
The worst affected airports were:
Manchester Airport (33 departures cancelled, 27 arrivals cancelled)
Heathrow Airport (20 departures cancelled, 18 arrivals cancelled)
Leeds Bradford (15 departures cancelled, 10 arrivals cancelled)
Gatwick (12 departures cancelled, 9 arrivals cancelled)
Liverpool (10 departures cancelled, 10 arrivals cancelled)
Flight Cancellations 6 January 2025 (so far):
4 flights have been cancelled so far today, departing UK airports, with a further 3 arrivals cancelled as of now
This figure is likely to rise as the day progresses and we will keep you updated.
UK Airports Response
- Snow clearance operations: Airports are deploying specialized snow-clearing equipment, including ploughs, blowers, and brushes, to clear runways and ensure safe operations.
- Staffing increases: Many airports have increased staffing levels to handle the increased demand and assist passengers during this period of disruption.
Snow Business
Snow is easier to clear when the temperature is below -2c because it is drier as all the moisture in it is frozen. Above that temperature, not all the moisture will be frozen meaning it turns to slush and ice that are more slippery and harder to clear. This is part of the reason airports in colder countries are able to operate despite regular snow.
Manchester Airport has a fleet of more than 30 snow clearing vehicles fitted with ploughs, blowers, and brushes. They can be mobilised quickly and can clear significant snowfall in a short period of time.
UK airports typically close when snowfall reaches a certain depth. Doing this allows for the full mobilisation snow clearing assets so that runways can be cleared more quickly. These closures are generally short and are an important safety measure.
The Met Office has issued weather warnings for snow across parts of the UK, urging travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
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