Severe Weather and Blizzard Conditions in Iceland Stranded Thousands of Holiday Travelers After Flights Grounded

Severe weather and blizzard conditions have battered Iceland for several days, causing multiple international flights to be cancelled or delayed and thousands of Christmas holiday travelers to be stranded. Iceland's weather authorities issued a weather warning of poor visibility and dangerous travel conditions, which are the main cause of the air travel chaos.

Air Travel Chaos

(Photo : Photo by JEREMIE RICHARD/AFP via Getty Images)
A photo taken on December 17, 2022 from the Hallgrimskirkja church shows a view over Reykjavik, Iceland during snowfall. - The first snow started falling and intensified on December 17, covering the Icelandic capital in white.

Thousands of Christmas holiday passengers, many with departure flights to the United States, were unable to fly on the third consecutive day, while other people who arrived in Iceland could not get into their hotels. The travel chaos is caused by the severe weather, blizzard conditions, heavy snowfall, and strong chill winds, AccuWeather reports.

Airport authorities and airlines in Iceland urged passengers to monitor their flights to determine any delays and cancellations. Icelandair announced on its website that they are still experiencing a major road closure, which is the cause of the disruption in their operations, as cited by the US weather forecasting company.

At Keflavik International Airport, the largest airport in Iceland, thousands of travelers were forced to sleep on the floor as the blizzard weather caused a mayhem of chain reactions, leading to flight delays or cancellations. On Tuesday, December 20, the Icelandic Meteorological Office issued a nationwide travel alert, warning of the dangerous weather and severe conditions at the said airport.

Also Read: Iceland May Lose its Ice in the Next 100 Years Due to Climate Change

Iceland Extreme Weather

Hundreds of travelers became stranded at Keflavik Airport as early as Monday, December 19, after all international flights were cancelled, according to Euronews. Roads around the airport became impassable, leaving both passengers and airline crew trapped at the airport.

Although most roads have reopened, the UK Foreign Office retains its advice that there is a severe weather warning across Iceland and many roads are closed. The advice cites that police are urging people to stay in their houses, as high winds and dangerous icy road conditions are resulting in major flight disruption and affecting movement to or from the Keflavik Airport due to the road closures.

Stranded Passengers

Some stranded passengers have reportedly voiced out their concerns toward how the flight disruptions are being handled, with one posting on Twitter that there was still no update regarding their cancelled flight back into the UK as of Wednesday, December 21.

Americans were also stranded at the Iceland airport, including a couple named Becky and Robert Carson, who along with dozens of others, became stuck with little food or communication and forced to sleep on cold floors just like the ones mentioned earlier, according to NBC News.

Many other holiday travelers faced the same ordeal, with some waiting for connecting flights or traveling to cities like Boston, New York, Washington, London, Paris, and other destinations with cancelled flights. Multiple passengers spoke to NBC News, saying that the main issue they faced was a lack of communication and organization from airport authorities.

Since last weekend, heavy snow and strong winds have affected operations at Keflavik Airport, which is possible to experience continued disruption in the coming hours or days.