A sharp Arctic front swept across central Europe on 7 February 2026, paralysing ground operations at Warsaw-Chopin, Kraków-Balice, Gdańsk, Katowice and Poznań airports. By mid-afternoon the five hubs logged a combined 339 flight delays and four cancellations, according to data compiled by FlightAware and reported by industry outlet Travel & Tour World.
Warsaw bore the brunt, with 193 late departures and three cancellations as de-icing queues stretched beyond one hour. National carrier LOT accounted for 140 delays, forcing missed connections on high-yield trans-Atlantic and intra-EU routes relied upon by multinational firms headquartered in Poland. Low-cost rivals Wizz Air, Ryanair and Buzz together racked up nearly 100 delays, highlighting the knock-on effect on migrant-worker flows and weekend leisure traffic.
![Wintry Blast Delays 339 Flights and Cancels Four at Poland’s Five Busiest Airports]()
Although only four flights were cancelled—three SAS Link services and a CityJet charter—the sheer volume of staggered departures caused crew-duty imbalances that may ripple into the work-week. Travel-risk consultants advise mobility managers to build 24-hour buffers into project start-dates during Poland’s February freeze, when de-icing fluid shortages and ramp-worker safety restrictions are common.
For travellers forced to reroute through neighbouring hubs or stay beyond their planned dates, checking that visas and residence permits remain valid is critical. VisaHQ’s Poland platform (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) can instantly verify entry requirements, arrange expedited visa processing and courier delivery, and provide live support—helping companies and individuals avoid paperwork headaches on top of weather-related delays.
Under EU-261 rules, weather is an "extraordinary circumstance", so airlines are not obliged to pay compensation; however they must still provide care and assistance. Companies should remind staff to keep receipts for meals and accommodation and to use corporate card travel-insurance features that can cover additional costs. Forward-looking firms are also adding rail segments—such as Warsaw–Gdańsk PKP Intercity services—to contingency playbooks to bypass short-haul air bottlenecks.
Warsaw bore the brunt, with 193 late departures and three cancellations as de-icing queues stretched beyond one hour. National carrier LOT accounted for 140 delays, forcing missed connections on high-yield trans-Atlantic and intra-EU routes relied upon by multinational firms headquartered in Poland. Low-cost rivals Wizz Air, Ryanair and Buzz together racked up nearly 100 delays, highlighting the knock-on effect on migrant-worker flows and weekend leisure traffic.
Although only four flights were cancelled—three SAS Link services and a CityJet charter—the sheer volume of staggered departures caused crew-duty imbalances that may ripple into the work-week. Travel-risk consultants advise mobility managers to build 24-hour buffers into project start-dates during Poland’s February freeze, when de-icing fluid shortages and ramp-worker safety restrictions are common.
For travellers forced to reroute through neighbouring hubs or stay beyond their planned dates, checking that visas and residence permits remain valid is critical. VisaHQ’s Poland platform (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) can instantly verify entry requirements, arrange expedited visa processing and courier delivery, and provide live support—helping companies and individuals avoid paperwork headaches on top of weather-related delays.
Under EU-261 rules, weather is an "extraordinary circumstance", so airlines are not obliged to pay compensation; however they must still provide care and assistance. Companies should remind staff to keep receipts for meals and accommodation and to use corporate card travel-insurance features that can cover additional costs. Forward-looking firms are also adding rail segments—such as Warsaw–Gdańsk PKP Intercity services—to contingency playbooks to bypass short-haul air bottlenecks.
