Snowfall causes flight delays, cancellations at Sofia Airport
The heavy snowfall and strong winds in Bulgaria caused a number of flight cancellations at the Sofia airport on February 26, while some flights were delayed.
In a statement on its website, the airport said that it was operating in difficult conditions, with the runway routinely swept for snow, while aircraft needed to be de-iced before take-off.
“Because of the snowfall, flights are being services with a certain deviation from schedule. We call on passengers to take into account the winter conditions and allow for enough time to arrive at the airport. We ask departing passengers to arrive at least two hours before their scheduled departure,” the statement said.
The airport did not say which flight were delayed or cancelled, and its website experienced intermittent service outages, making it difficult for passengers to ascertain the status of their flights.
Media reports said that flights to Rome, Paris, Munich and Frankfurt, as well as the domestic Sofia-Varna route, were among those affected.
Public broadcaster Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) also reported that one plane that took off from Sofia experienced technical difficulties, with the crew asking for an emergency landing in Sofia. Later, the plane’s crew reportedly decided to continue the flight and make the emergency landing in Budapest, BNR said.
(Sofia airport blanketed by thick fog. Photo: James Ward/flickr.com)
