HEAVY snowfall, sub-zero temperatures and a shortage of de-icing agent led to widespread disruption of flights in Berlin and Frankfurt yesterday, as winter weather continued to plague the continent.
Further snowstorms and heavy sleet in the early hours of this morning were expected to cause more flight disruptions today.
Three people died on German roads on Thursday night and, by yesterday morning, nearly half a metre of snow had fallen in Bavaria and the Harz mountains to the north.
There were some 150 incidents on German roads on Thursday, and yesterday a 17-year-old girl died when the car in which she was travelling spun out of control on an icy road and crashed into a lorry.
Traffic on Germany’s autobahn network was reduced to a crawl as drivers struggled to cope with conditions. In the central state of Thüringen traffic police reported a 40km-long tailback.
Nearly half of 700 Berlin-bound flights were cancelled on Thursday while low-cost carriers Ryanair, Easyjet and Germanwings cancelled all flights into the German capital yesterday.
At Frankfurt airport, one of Europe’s leading air traffic hubs, some 37 flights were cancelled yesterday after 480 cancellations on Thursday; one in four fights.
Air Berlin expressed frustration with shortages in de-icing fluid, which it blamed for flight delays.
“We think it is a structural problem,” said a spokesperson to the AFP news service. “Only a few firms in Europe [manufacture de-icer] leading to shortages across Europe, which could become a problem this winter.”
Meteorologists predicted heavy snowstorms across central Europe for today.
In France, at least 3,000 Parisian motorists were forced to spend the night in emergency shelters after a heavy blanket of snow covered the capital on Thursday.
The heaviest snowfall Paris has seen in 23 years forced drivers to abandon their cars, and led to the temporary closure of the Eiffel Tower.
The snowy snap has become a political matter, with widespread anger about inaccurate forecasts by meteorological service Meteo and the slow reaction of state services.
“I am aware that many drivers and train passengers experienced difficulties and were stuck for hours,” said French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
“We will try to find out in the coming days why, if our [public] services work well, but only with a time lag of two to three days. But I am not questioning their competence.”
In Poland, a further three people have died from exposure in sub-zero temperatures, bringing the winter death toll to 66.
Meanwhile in Germany, burglars in the town of Peine, east of Hanover, used a snowstorm as cover to break into the cellar of a family’s home on Thursday night and steal their Christmas presents.
Among €250 worth of missing gifts, which the parents are hoping to replace in the next two weeks, were a doll with doll house and a miniature electric motorbike.