Flights To Bucharest Halted as Severe Blizzard Dumps Record Snow, Grounds Airports and Shuts Roads
Heavy blizzard conditions have grounded flights to bucharest and created widespread transport chaos as deep snow, runway closures and collapsed infrastructure cut power and halted traffic across the southeast of the country. The scale of disruption has left airports unable to operate, rail services delayed and major road arteries closed, with communities left without electricity.
Flights To Bucharest: cancellations, diversions and runway closures
Air traffic serving the capital was severely affected. At Henri Coanda International Airport, eight flights were cancelled and five diverted, and two runways were temporarily closed due to poor visibility and snow. More broadly, international airports were reported closed in affected areas, compounding delays and leaving many services suspended. The combination of runway closures and redirected flights has been central to the collapse of regular schedules and the large-scale grounding of flights to bucharest.
Road and rail networks crippled by heavy snowfall
Snow accumulation has overwhelmed roads and rail. The capital received substantial snowfall, with one assessment recording 40cm of snow—far above the typical seasonal level—and another forecast expecting accumulations that could exceed 50cm. Motorway traffic was disrupted and several main routes into Bucharest were shut. Train services experienced severe delays, with some trains delayed by up to six hours, and restrictions were placed on key road corridors as emergency services worked to clear routes.
Maritime and cross-border freight movement were also hit. Maritime operations were suspended in multiple coastal counties, and lorry traffic at the Ruse–Giurgiu border crossing was halted. These interruptions have affected supply chains and freight flows that rely on those corridors.
Power outages, local impact and safety measures
The storm’s weight on trees and infrastructure caused numerous power lines to collapse, producing significant outages. Estimates of affected customers vary: one figure cites about 200, 000 households without electricity, while another count lists roughly 18, 400 consumers impacted across several localities. Emergency services issued high-level weather alerts for the capital and surrounding county, and residents were urged to avoid non-essential travel as further snowfall and strong winds risked additional disruptions.
Despite the severity of the conditions, no injuries were reported in the affected localities that were referenced. Authorities emphasized restrictions on movement and the suspension of certain operations while crews worked to restore services and make roads passable.
Outlook and immediate priorities
Clearing runways, reopening main roads and restoring electricity are the immediate priorities as teams work to stabilize transport and utilities. With significant snow depths reported in the capital and surrounding counties, recovery will hinge on sustained clearing efforts and weather conditions improving. Details remain subject to change as crews continue response operations and assessments are updated.
For travelers, those with planned journeys should expect ongoing disruption and confirm the status of individual services before attempting travel; for affected communities, restoring power and safe access remain the urgent concerns.
