Sunday, 26 December 2010

Paris airport terminal evacuated due to snow on roof

Firefighters called in to clear snow at Charles de Gaulle airport as freezing conditions continue to wreak havoc

Air France planes parked at Charles de Gaulle airport
Air France planes parked on the snow-covered tarmac at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Photograph: Reuters

Passengers at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris were evacuated from one of its terminals today amid fears for their safety because of an accumulation of snow on the roof.

Bernard Cathelain, the deputy director of the Paris airport authority ADP, said the terminal was still operating but passengers had been asked to move.

Le Monde reported that about 60cm of snow had built up on the roof of the terminal and about 2,000 people had been evacuated. Firefighters have been sent in to clear the snow.

The problem added to the woes at Charles de Gaulle, where freezing conditions and a strike at the main French factory producing de-icing fluid forced the cancellation of half – about 400 – of the flights scheduled for this morning. A supply of de-icing fluid (glycol) has been flown in from the USbut many passengers already face missing Christmas dinner, which is traditionally served tonight in France.

An Air France ground official, Michel Emeyriat, told the iTele TV channel that getting people home was "our goal for tonight" and long-haul flights were getting priority treatment.

The airport has suffered structural problems before. Four people at terminal 2E were killed in 2004 when the roof collapsed shortly after the building's inauguration.

Fresh snowfall and cold weather has caused travel problems across Europe. Dusseldorf airport in Germany was shut for several hours this morning, causing the cancellation of about 65 flights.

The railway line between Hanover and Berlin was closed overnight because of ice-covered overhead electric wires but services resumed early today.

Irish Ferries added extra crossings between Britain and Ireland after about 40,000 travellers were left stranded or delayed at Dublin airport because of blizzards that caused the airport to close three times yesterday. Dublin airport had eight inches of snow yesterday and emergency staff cleared an estimated 120,000 tonnes of snow overnight. Aer Lingus and Ryanair said they were both attempting a full schedule today but feared more snow could be on the way.

The unexpected Irish cold snap is killing cows, sheep and pigs and particularly young salmon at Ireland's fish farms, which are used to stock lakes in springtime for anglers.

Brussels airport was closed until 4pm (3pm GMT) today after 25cm of snow. fell. A statement on the airport's website reads: "Because of heavy snowfall there is only one runway in use. We have delays and cancellations so please check the flight info before coming over to the airport. For the moment we don't have enough capacity to handle incoming traffic. Only a few flights are accepted."

By contrast, the situation in the UK was improving after days of problems. Major airports said services were operating largely as normal but Christmas travellers still had to contend with reduced rail services and icy roads. About a quarter of services were cancelled on some rail routes.


































Boston, NYC face blizzard warnings as storm system barrels north

By the CNN Wire Staff
December 25, 2010 -- Updated 2345 GMT (0745 HKT)
Storm warnings across the U.S. meaning travelers could face long lines and cancellations at airports.
Storm warnings across the U.S. meaning travelers could face long lines and cancellations at airports.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts have a blizzard warning for Sunday and Monday
  • NEW: An American Airlines spokeswoman says there will be significant flight cancellations
  • It's all part of a storm system that's causing travel headaches along the East Coast
  • Metro New York has a blizzard warning, and snow fell Saturday from Georgia north to Virginia
RELATED TOPICS

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(CNN) -- Snow fell in parts of the southeast Saturday, the leading edge of a powerful storm system that has prompted blizzard warnings in New York City and Boston and threatened to cause major travel headaches at the tail end of the holiday week.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for the New York City metropolitan area, from northeast New Jersey through Newark and New York, and including the entirety of both the Long Island and Connecticut coasts of the Long Island Sound. That warning is in effect between 6 a.m. Sunday and 6 p.m. Monday.

Forecasters predict between 11 to 16 inches of blowing snow in much of that region, bringing visibility to near zero at times. Sustained winds as strong as 30 miles per hour could hit Sunday night, with gusts up to 55 mph in parts of central and eastern Long Island.

And, starting at noon Sunday and extending through 6 p.m. Monday, a similar warning is out for all of Rhode Island and most of eastern Massachusetts. Parts of that region could see as much as 20 inches of snow, with strong winds contributing to near blinding travel conditions and likely significant power outages.

All this could put a wrench in thousands of travel plans. American Airlines spokeswoman Mary Sanderson said that the airline expected minimal delays through Sunday morning, but that it plans to cancel flights in and out of several key East Coast airports starting in the afternoon.

"Customers will be contacted through the automated re-accommodation system ... as early as tonight," Sanderson said. "We'll have a better idea tomorrow morning."

Winter storm warnings were in effect late Saturday afternoon and into Sunday in parts of Georgia north to Virginia, with the rest of the East Coast set to follow as the weekend progresses.

Snow falls on drivers Saturday in St. Louis, Missouri.
Snow falls on drivers Saturday in St. Louis, Missouri.

A band of light snowfall was moving across the Tennessee Valley and the southern Appalachians, according to the National Weather Service. Madison, Alabama, had received 2.2 inches of snow since Thursday.

Snowfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches were possible across North Carolina, and Atlanta was receiving afternoon precipitation.

Picturesque Asheville in western North Carolina was well on its way Saturday to notching up to 8 inches of snow.

Light flakes were falling in Washington on Saturday, a precurso to heavier snowfall expected to arrive midday Sunday. Accumulations are expected to be between 2 and 4 inches.

Forecasters, too, warned of icy driving conditions across much of the East. Much of the precipitation will fall along the Interstate 95 corridor and near the Atlantic coast.

Already, some Christmas Day travelers were facing delays at airports following Friday's cancellations of hundreds of flights. Airlines were assessing the situation again Saturday.

CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider explained that the system is a Nor'easter, which gets its name from the continuously strong northeasterly winds blowing in from the ocean ahead of the storm and over the coastal areas.

Delta Air Lines has pre-emptively canceled approximately 500 Christmas Day flights, a company spokesman said, as airlines work to get ahead of the storm.

Morgan Durrant, a Delta spokesman, said that the airline has canceled roughly 300 flights in and out of Atlanta and 200 more around the country.

Delta also has joined Continental, United, American and AirTran in waiving penalties for travelers who have to reschedule their trips over the weekend.

United and Continental airlines, said "customers scheduled on flights to, from or through the impacted areas may reschedule their itinerary with a one-time date or time change, and the change fees will be waived."

Mike Trevino, a United Airlines representative, confirmed that United will issue a waiver for customers traveling Saturday through Monday to areas affected by weather.

"Customers will not be charged a change of ticket fee. No flights have been canceled in advance of the storm," he said.

The offer applies to travelers with tickets purchased on or before Thursday and going to, from or through airports serving Newark, New Jersey; New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, Washington, Baltimore and Atlanta.

Delta is offering customers whose flight plans may be affected by winter weather across the Southeast and East "the ability to make one-time changes to their travels schedules without fees. Delta's weather advisory encourages customers to consider postponing or rerouting their travel to avoid possible inconvenience from expected flight delays."

Customers "booked on Delta-ticketed flights to, from or through" several cities "may immediately rebook for travel before or after their original travel dates as long as new flights are ticketed and rescheduled travel begins by December 29."

The cities are Atlanta, for travel booked for Saturday and Sunday; and Baltimore, Boston, Newark, New York and Washington for travel booked for Sunday and Monday.

AirTran is also waiving penalties for passengers traveling to and from Atlanta from 2 p.m. Saturday to noon Sunday, and on Sunday and Monday for some cities "as long as travel is completed within three days from the date of the original scheduled departure date or five days after the original scheduled departure date, based on space availability, without fees or fare adjustments."

The locations are Allentown, Pennsylvania; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Baltimore; Boston; Buffalo, New York; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; New York City; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Portland, Maine; Richmond, Virginia; Rochester, New York; Washington; and White Plains, New York.

American Airlines will also allow its customers set to fly December 26 and 27 in and out of certain destinations to change their tickets free of charge. The policy applies to airports in Boston, Washington, New York, Newark and Philadelphia.

Posted by Britannia Radio at 00:11