Severe winter weather across north-western Europe, combined with ongoing crew shortages, triggered 320 delays and 17 cancellations on 17 December at three major hubs—London Heathrow, London City and Geneva Cointrin—according to data compiled by Travel and Tour World. Geneva Airport recorded two cancellations and 66 delayed departures, affecting both holidaymakers and corporate travellers connecting to long-haul networks via Zurich, Paris and London.
Swiss International Air Lines and easyJet, the airport’s two largest carriers, blamed heavy rain and low visibility in the morning peak for air-traffic-control flow restrictions. Staffing gaps among ground-handling firms exacerbated turnaround times, while flight crews approaching duty-time limits led to last-minute cancellations. Passengers faced queues exceeding 90 minutes for rebooking and security re-screening.
The disruption underscores an emerging pattern this winter: European hubs that outsized pandemic labour cuts are struggling to rebuild rosters fast enough to absorb weather-related shocks. Geneva’s slot-controlled schedule leaves little slack, so knock-on delays often cascade for several rotations.
![Weather and Staffing Woes Cause 66 Flight Delays at Geneva Airport]()
While assessing contingency routings, travellers should also confirm that any unexpected diversion—especially to a non-Schengen airport—won’t create last-minute entry issues. VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) lets passengers instantly check visa requirements and secure express documentation, adding flexibility if rebooked itineraries involve new stopovers or longer layovers.
Corporate travel managers should advise employees to add buffer time for connections through Geneva and to use airline apps for proactive re-routing. Travellers departing Switzerland this week are also reminded to factor in longer security lines at Zurich, where CT-scanner installation continues. EU air-passenger-rights rules entitle customers to compensation for delays over three hours when the cause lies within the airline’s control.
Airport operator Genève Aéroport said it is working with airlines to bolster de-icing capacity and to deploy additional seasonal staff, but warned that further disruptions are possible if the current storm system persists.
Swiss International Air Lines and easyJet, the airport’s two largest carriers, blamed heavy rain and low visibility in the morning peak for air-traffic-control flow restrictions. Staffing gaps among ground-handling firms exacerbated turnaround times, while flight crews approaching duty-time limits led to last-minute cancellations. Passengers faced queues exceeding 90 minutes for rebooking and security re-screening.
The disruption underscores an emerging pattern this winter: European hubs that outsized pandemic labour cuts are struggling to rebuild rosters fast enough to absorb weather-related shocks. Geneva’s slot-controlled schedule leaves little slack, so knock-on delays often cascade for several rotations.
While assessing contingency routings, travellers should also confirm that any unexpected diversion—especially to a non-Schengen airport—won’t create last-minute entry issues. VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) lets passengers instantly check visa requirements and secure express documentation, adding flexibility if rebooked itineraries involve new stopovers or longer layovers.
Corporate travel managers should advise employees to add buffer time for connections through Geneva and to use airline apps for proactive re-routing. Travellers departing Switzerland this week are also reminded to factor in longer security lines at Zurich, where CT-scanner installation continues. EU air-passenger-rights rules entitle customers to compensation for delays over three hours when the cause lies within the airline’s control.
Airport operator Genève Aéroport said it is working with airlines to bolster de-icing capacity and to deploy additional seasonal staff, but warned that further disruptions are possible if the current storm system persists.
