Manchester Airport has confirmed that its runways have now reopened after being closed for three and a half hours due to snow.
Passengers have been warned to expect delays to continue throughout the day with some flights cancelled or diverted elsewhere. The airport announced that its runways were shut shortly after 6am but said that it was working to clear them ‘as quick as possible’.
Dozens of flights have been delayed with some cancelled due to the temporary closure caused by heavy snow settling on the runway. Three weather warnings have been issued across the region, including an amber alert for snow and ice which is in place until midday.
The last flight to land at Manchester Airport before the closure was the 6.05am TUI flight from Cancun, according to flightradar24. But shortly after 9.30am two Virgin Atlantic flights, from Orlando and Bridgetown, landed at the airport, according to the flight tracker.
Manchester Airport issued a new statement on X at 9.43am confirming that its runways have now reopened. The airport said: “Our runways are now open, but as a result of the earlier closure, some departures and arrivals may still experience delays as our teams work to de-ice aircraft and clear walkways.
“Please check with your airline for the latest flight information and allow extra travel time today. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
“We would like to thank our teams for their hard work in getting the runway operational again.”
Dozens of flights due to depart from Manchester Airport today (January 5) have been delayed. Many easyJet flights throughout the day have been delayed by half an hour or more with several Ryanair, British Airways, Jet2 and TUI flights also affected by delays.
At least nine flights have been cancelled including three KLM flights to Amsterdam. Some flights have also been diverted elsewhere.