Snowstorm paralyses Vienna airport
Rental bicycles are covered in snow after heavy snowfalls in Vienna, Austria, on Feb 20, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Elisabeth Mandl)
VIENNA: Massive snowstorms caused power outages and transport chaos in Austria on Friday (Feb 20), forcing the Vienna airport to temporarily halt all flights.
Flights departing from the capital, a major European hub, were cancelled or delayed, and more than 230 arrivals were similarly disrupted or rerouted.
"Passengers whose flights have been delayed are asked not to come to the airport," the facility said in a statement.
The area received 20cm of snow, national news agency APA reported.
The main highway south of Vienna was closed for several hours, and other sections of highway were temporarily inaccessible because of snowdrift, stranded lorries or poor visibility, said the national automobile association, OAMTC.
Electric companies reported power outages in several regions in the south and east, including Styria, where 30,000 homes lost electricity.
The weather was forecast to improve from around midday, but the risk of avalanches remained high.
