Flights can be delayed or cancelled at Budapest Airport – another wave of snow approaches Hungary, updated

Budapest Airport has been grappling with intense snowfall since 6 PM on Tuesday, forcing multiple flights to wait for the storm to ease. By Wednesday morning, services to key destinations like Amsterdam, Paris, and London faced cancellations.

More disruptions likely amid Hungary’s worst snow since 2012

According to 24.hu, further cancellations and delays are on the cards as heavy snow blankets Hungary—the heaviest since 2012. Budapest Airport is on its highest alert level, with teams working flat out to clear runways, taxiways, and other critical areas.

At 8 PM yesterday, Runway 1 was temporarily closed to prioritise safe operations, allowing crews to focus solely on keeping Runway 2 operational. Fortunately, night-time traffic coped well with just one runway, so timetables held steady. However, de-icing planes took longer, prompting some flights to hold out for lighter snow.

• Attention! Airbus plane skids off Budapest Airport runway amid intense snowfall – photo, video

Passengers urged to check updates

Budapest Airport warns of potential delays or cancellations in the coming hours and appeals for passengers’ patience.

Another snow wave approaches

HungaroMet Ltd has issued a stark weather warning via MTI, alerting us to more snow chaos brewing in the east. Through Wednesday morning, fresh flurries could dump up to 5 cm of snow, with Szabolcs potentially seeing 5-10 cm—before the precipitation band shifts eastwards, leaving Hungary behind. But hold on: from late afternoon into the evening, a new front sweeps in from the south, targeting the Tiszántúl region, Borsod area, and along the Tisza river with another round of snow.

Expect a hefty 10-20 cm more by Thursday morning in the east—possibly even more in spots. This band might also brush the eastern Duna-Tisza plain and southern border areas, bringing up to 5 cm there, while elsewhere it’s just light snow showers or flurries.

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Blustery winds and drifting snow

Take note: until Wednesday afternoon, fierce northerly gusts—strong across two-thirds of western Dunántúl—could whip up blizzards. In the Bakony region, they’ll pile snow into towering drifts, while northeast in Bodrogköz, powerful and occasionally gale-force gusts until late morning might create serious blockages there too. Winds ease a touch by afternoon, though lively squalls linger in places. Come Wednesday night into Thursday, they roar back nationwide, sparking widespread drifting snow.

Additional warnings issued

The meteorological service has rolled out second-level (orange) alerts for Veszprém, Csongrád-Csanád, Békés, and Hajdú-Bihar counties on Wednesday, forecasting over 20 cm of fresh snow in 24 hours. First-level (yellow) alerts run until midnight in Bács-Kiskun, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, and Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, where more than 5 cm could fall in 12 hours.

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For blizzard risks, second-level warnings hit Veszprém, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, and Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén until midnight—gale-force winds over fresh snow could build massive drifts. First-level alerts cover Hajdú-Bihar and most Dunántúl counties (bar Baranya).

Update – Budapest Airport back in operation with two runways after heavy snowfall

Liszt Ferenc International has been operating with two runways since dawn, but delays or cancellations could still occur during the day, airport operator Budapest Airport said on Wednesday.

Due to heavy snowfall late Tuesday, more than twenty evening departures were cancelled for safety reasons, and there were some delays on Wednesday morning, Budapest Airport said. “The highest level of snow readiness is still in effect, and Budapest Airport services are working hard to continuously clear taxiways, aprons and runways to ensure the safety of the airport,” the operator said.