AIRLINES ARE TODAY working desperately to allow passengers be home in time for Christmas, after heavy snow and freezing conditions forced Dublin Airport to close for most of yesterday and last night.
Ryanair and Aer Lingus are operating at near full capacity this afternoon, but the latter airline has advised passengers that only those with confirmed bookings for flights operating today will be able to travel, due to the massive backlogs of passengers stranded after yesterday’s curtailments – which saw just about eight hours of flight activity all day.
Ryanair said that eight of its aircraft usually based in Dublin had had to be redirected to Shannon and Cork as a result of last night’s closures; four of those aircraft cannot be returned to Dublin, it said, due to shortages of de-icing fluid on the part of ground handlers.
As a result, not all of Ryanair’s flights could operate from Dublin, despite the airport now being fully operational after ground staff worked through the night to clear the runways ahead of today’s final surge in air travel.
All passengers have been asked to check the status of their flights online before leaving for the airport.
Though there had been earlier indications that the airport may open for some time tomorrow to allow travellers get home, it now appears unlikely that the airport may remain open.
Irish Rail and Dublin Bus services end tonight at 9pm, with Bus Éireann continuing some departures until 9:30pm.
Cork, Shannon and Belfast International airports are also open and operating this morning, but anyone due to travel should check with their airline before leaving for the airport as many flights are delayed due to conditions at other European airports.
Met Éireann warned on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today that fog at Shannon could begin to affect the airport later this morning.
A storm warning has been issued for the east coast of the US from early tomorrow morning until Monday evening. The storm could affect: Washington, DC (Reagan); Washington, DC (Dulles); Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Newark, NJ; New York, NY (Laguardia); New York, NY (JFK); and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, PA, according to US Airways.
Locally, freezing fog, compacted snow and ice continue to make driving conditions hazardous around the country. For regular updates on road conditions, check the AA Roadwatch site, which advises:
Wait until daylight before taking to the roads. Deep snow in Leinster especially, with packed snow and black ice across the region. Freezing fog is a major problem in the midlands in particular.
Motorists are reminded to remove snow from the roof of their vehicle before setting off on their journey.
Luas services are operating in full today, Bus Éireann services are running with some delays and diversions, and some Dublin Bus routes are curtailed. Dublin Bus services will end at 9pm today. Irish Rail is running a full service.
A thaw early next week could cause flooding in parts of the country, according to Met Éireann, although it is too early to say where or when.
Up-to-date weather and transport information can be found on the following websites:
Twitter users can get weather news through TheJournal.ie’s curated ‘Big Freeze’ list.
Additional reporting by Gavan Reilly.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say