By Jake Hardiman
Strong winds are causing particularly bad disruption in the UK and the Netherlands. Just days after Storm Dudley caused high winds to batter the UK, an even stronger weather system known as Storm Eunice has hit the country. With extensive weather warnings in place across the country, air travel is facing significant disruption. Airlines located elsewhere in Europe are also feeling the impacts of the storm.
Disruption in the Netherlands
The impacts of Storm Eunice on European aviation are immediately evident when it comes to statistics regarding delays and cancelations in the region. According to data from FlightAware, KLM is the most heavily impacted carrier at the time of writing, with 246 cancelations representing 46% of its daily operations.
This marks an increase on an initial 167 cancelations, as reported earlier by aviation24.be. The timing also isn’t ideal, given that it occurs at the start of the Netherlands’ spring break. A statement on the Dutch flag carrier’s website advises:
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“Due to stormy weather in Amsterdam on Thursday 17 February and Friday 18 February 2022, our flights to, from, or via Amsterdam Airport Schiphol may be disrupted. We are doing our very best to help you on your way again. In the meantime, we advise checking the current status of your flight via My Trip.”
Given KLM’s use of Amsterdam Schiphol as a hub, it is unsurprising to see it top the list in terms of the most disrupted airports today. Overall, the facility had registered 139 cancellations (19% of the daily total) and 23 delays (3%) at the time of writing.
The UK has also been hit hard
Just over the water from the Netherlands, Storm Eunice has also been making landfall in the UK, and impacting travel in the process. Almost all of the country has some form of weather warning in place, either for wind or snow. Two regions even have red warnings, indicating a significant danger to life due to the conditions.
According to the BBC, the strongest winds could be set to gust at speeds as high as 90 mph (145 km/h). Under such conditions, disruption to travel is inevitable. While aviation in the UK isn’t a total write-off (compared to rail travel in Wales, where all trains have been canceled), its carriers are still near the top of FlightAware’s tables.
Eurocontrol, Narrowbody, Taxi Time
Indeed, British Airways ranks fifth overall, with 49 cancellations. Its regional subsidiary, BA CityFlyer, sits just behind, with 43, although these represent a far greater proportion (45% vs 10%) of its daily operations. Only 26 of easyJet’s flights have been canceled, but 132 of its services have been subjected to delays. A spokesperson for the Luton-based low-cost carrier confirmed to Simple Flying that:
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“Due to strong winds impacting parts of the UK today, like other airlines we are experiencing some disruption to our flying programme and have been required to cancel a small number of flights to and from the UK.”
What are the airlines and airports saying?
The disruption is making for a challenging end to the week for UK carriers. A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic advised Simple Flying that:
Due to weather warnings and expected strong winds caused by Storm Eunice, we are working with airports and partners to minimize disruption but unfortunately some flights will be subject to cancellations and delays. We recommend that all customers due to travel to or from London Heathrow and Manchester airports over the next 48 hours check the status of their flight on virginatlantic.com before going to the airport.”
Meanwhile, British Airways stated that:”Like other airlines, we’re expecting extreme weather conditions at airports across the UK as a result of Storm Eunice, which will cause significant disruption. Safety is our number one priority, and we’re cancelling a number of flights. We’re doing everything we can to minimize disruption for our customers, including putting on larger aircraft where possible.Customers due to travel on a short-haul service today can rebook for free on ba.com. Those whose flights have been cancelled are being contacted to offer options including a full refund.”
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To support customers amid the disruption, Heathrow Airport also told Simple Flying that “we have additional colleagues on-hand in the terminals to support our passengers. We are working in close collaboration with our airline and air traffic control partners to get people safely away on their journeys as quickly as possible.
Jake Hardiman ,Journalist – A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for aviation history, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft even if doing so demands an unorthodox itinerary.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry