Snowstorm sees travellers bed down in Amsterdam airport, Parisians take to skis

Snow and ice brought misery to travellers in northwest Europe on Wednesday, forcing around a thousand to spend the night in Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, but delighted others who set out to explore a snow-blanketed Paris on sledges and skis.

Storm Goretti blew in from the Atlantic coast and hit Paris with heavy snowfall as daylight broke, prompting further flight cancellations, traffic snarls and transport disruption after days of delays.

Meanwhile, tourists and residents enjoyed the rare sight of snow-covered Paris, with a few taking the opportunity to ski down the slopes of Montmartre and along the Champs de Mars gardens below the Eiffel Tower.

“It’s exceptional, it’s incredible. It’s magnificent and we’re enjoying it. We also came across a lot of tourists and they look so happy,” said Pierre, a Parisian out admiring the snowy scenery.

People grabbed sledges or even just plastic bags to slide down any slopes they could find.

BEDS FOR STRANDED PASSENGERS AT SCHIPHOL AIRPORT

More than 1,000 travellers spent the night in Schiphol airport as some 700 flights were cancelled on Wednesday, marking the sixth consecutive day of disruption at one of Europe’s busiest hubs.

Schiphol spokesperson Stephan Donker told Reuters it was an “exceptional situation”. The airport has set up a few hundred beds before and after security checks and provided pillows, blankets, food and drinks for travellers, he added.

Knock-on effects from the disruption could cause further delays and cancellations in the coming days, he said.

AIRLINE KLM RESTOCKS ON DE-ICING FLUID

Dutch airline KLM said on Wednesday it had received a new supply of 100,000 litres of de-icing fluids, after warning on Tuesday that it was running low.

KLM has used around 85,000 litres every day since Friday to remove snow and ice from aircraft before takeoff.

Some 100 flights were cancelled at Paris’ Charles-de-Gaulle airport and around 40 at the smaller Orly airport on Wednesday morning, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot told CNews.

Brussels’ international airport and train operator Eurostar also reported cancellations and delays.

CONDITIONS SPUR WINTER SHOPPING

Many schools in the Netherlands were shut and authorities urged people to work from home. Several districts were running low on salt and only able to clear major roads, news agency ANP reported.

France had early on Wednesday banned trucks and school buses from the roads in a third of all administrative departments, but lifted severe weather warnings for most of them later on.

Paris bus services were suspended as shops geared up for the first day of the New Year sales.

Christophe Noel, head of France’s FACT industry group, said the weather was positive for winter sales.

“It will make people want to buy equipment.”

In Spain, snow and cold prompted the suspension of one commuter rail line near Madrid and disrupted more than 40 roads.

PASSENGERS TRAPPED ON TRAIN IN CROATIA

Heavy snow and rain overnight caused travel disruption across the Western Balkans.

Passengers were trapped in a train for more than 12 hours in the town of Knin in northwestern Croatia after trees fell onto the tracks.

Some towns in eastern Bosnia and western Serbia declared emergency situations after power and water cuts.

In Poland, schools in many regions were closed due to snow, with some switching to remote learning. In Hungary, heavy snowfall hit highways and delayed trains and buses on Wednesday morning.