KEFLAVIK - Een hevige sneeuwstorm zorgt al sinds zaterdag voor chaos op de grootste luchthaven van IJsland. Maandag waren bijna alle vluchten van en naar Keflavik Airport, de thuisbasis van Icelandair en PLAY, geannuleerd, en ook dinsdag zal het vliegverkeer naar verwachting ernstig verstoord zijn.
Door de problemen zijn veel passagiers gestrand op Keflavik Airport. Honderden moesten de nacht in de terminal doorbrengen omdat ze niet naar hotels in Reykjavik konden: de weg tussen de stad en de luchthaven was door de vele sneeuwval al meerdere keren langdurig onbegaanbaar.
Omdat de weg gesloten was, voerde Icelandair enkele vluchten uit tussen Keflavik en Reykjavik Airport, de kleine stadsluchthaven van de IJslandse hoofdstad.
Ook de Icelandair- en Transavia-vluchten tussen Amsterdam en Reykjavik zijn geannuleerd.
Bekijk hieronder de beelden:
Scenes from Iceland after a day and a half of @Icelandair flight delays and cancelations that have stranded hundreds at Keflavik.
— Caroline Rose (@CarolineRose8) December 18, 2022
People slept on check-in baggage belts, escalator steps, luggage carts.
BTW Damian Lewis was stuck here too and it was awesome. pic.twitter.com/jMYE2lhbrp
Yes indeed, @Icelandair is operating aircraft (even a 757!) between Reykjavik (KEF) and Reykjavik (RKV), the small downtown airport.
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) December 20, 2022
Flight time 12 minutes. https://t.co/0v8OhuusZ5 pic.twitter.com/mVMPdV8MQ0
For those who are bitching around that @Icelandair is evil guy. This is the road that leads to the airport. Flights are canceled for a good reason. Stay calm and enjoy being alive. #stuckiniceland pic.twitter.com/moozvI0skT
— MarBúi (@MrBorgarbui) December 20, 2022
My 8 year old son sleeping on basically a cold metal hard park bench in the world's coldest and worst airport #icelandair @kefairport @Icelandair pic.twitter.com/WRsFlEUitK
— The Maine Man (@TheMaineMan79) December 19, 2022
Due to extreme weather conditions, hundreds of travellers were left stranded at Keflavik Airport in Iceland.
— NoComment (@nocomment) December 20, 2022
Coastal winds remain strong, and routes in many areas are heavily affected by the drifting snow. pic.twitter.com/Vh8u8JGwAc
@Icelandair your response to the situation at Keflavík airport is atrocious. Why send people to the airport knowing that flights would be cancelled and then have no updates/reps on site, no water or food vouchers readily accessible, you’re a disgrace! pic.twitter.com/1O7WHAoT75
— Kev Power (@yorkshirebee) Please help us @usembreykjavik we are stranded here at Keflavik airport in the cold, the lobby has flooded with water and we have almost nothing to eat or drink. I just want this nightmare to end pic.twitter.com/fy1KPqfQbq— Jason (@GovsPA) December 19, 2022
Yesterday evening 20+ busloads of passengers who had been stuck at @kefairport for over 24-36 hours made it to Reykjavik, some after being in the busses for over 12 hours! The @raudikrossinn (Red Cross) has opened up a number of shelters for people stuck due to weather. pic.twitter.com/BTst8qbmwb
— Gisli Olafsson (@gislio) December 20, 2022