Severe winter weather and knock-on operational issues caused widespread flight disruption across Europe on 9 December, with 97 cancellations and 1,565 delays reported by data tracker FlightAware. Airports in Barcelona, Athens, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Helsinki—and Brussels—were among the worst affected.
Brussels Airlines and several low-cost carriers operating at Brussels Airport experienced rolling delays as de-icing bottlenecks cascaded through tightly banked schedules. Passengers faced missed connections and overnight stays, prompting renewed calls from consumer groups for stronger EU261 enforcement and automatic rebooking tools.
![Europe-wide weather disruption triggers 1,600 flight delays, hits Brussels hub ahead of holiday rush]()
For global-mobility managers the episode underscores the fragility of winter operations just two weeks before the peak Christmas travel period. Companies with time-critical assignees and project teams have been urged to build longer buffers into itineraries, monitor multi-airport routings and pre-approve rail alternatives on key intra-EU corridors.
Amid such uncertainties, travellers may also need to juggle visa rules as itineraries change on short notice. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets passengers instantly check entry requirements, obtain urgent visas or transit permits, and even arrange emergency passport services—support that can save both time and stress when winter weather forces unexpected rerouting through multiple countries.
Air-navigation authorities said no single factor caused the meltdown: ice-fog in northern Europe, thunderstorms in the western Mediterranean and local staffing shortages created a perfect storm. Brussels Airport said it cleared its backlog overnight but warned that further cold-weather fronts are forecast later this week, advising travellers to check flight status regularly.
Brussels Airlines and several low-cost carriers operating at Brussels Airport experienced rolling delays as de-icing bottlenecks cascaded through tightly banked schedules. Passengers faced missed connections and overnight stays, prompting renewed calls from consumer groups for stronger EU261 enforcement and automatic rebooking tools.
For global-mobility managers the episode underscores the fragility of winter operations just two weeks before the peak Christmas travel period. Companies with time-critical assignees and project teams have been urged to build longer buffers into itineraries, monitor multi-airport routings and pre-approve rail alternatives on key intra-EU corridors.
Amid such uncertainties, travellers may also need to juggle visa rules as itineraries change on short notice. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets passengers instantly check entry requirements, obtain urgent visas or transit permits, and even arrange emergency passport services—support that can save both time and stress when winter weather forces unexpected rerouting through multiple countries.
Air-navigation authorities said no single factor caused the meltdown: ice-fog in northern Europe, thunderstorms in the western Mediterranean and local staffing shortages created a perfect storm. Brussels Airport said it cleared its backlog overnight but warned that further cold-weather fronts are forecast later this week, advising travellers to check flight status regularly.
