We might not have had a white Christmas, but there’s certainly been a snowy start to 2026, so much so that the wintry weather is causing travel chaos.
Hundreds of flights and train journeys have been cancelled across the UK and wider Europe due to heavy snow and ice.
Airports in Paris and Amsterdam have cancelled flights, and there are travel disruptions and warnings to be aware of across Scotland, England and Wales.
Here’s everything you need to know…
Liverpool John Lennon Airport
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If you’ve got flights booked from the John Lennnon Airport in Liverpool, you’ll want to double-check your trip and be aware of travel updates. Snow and ice have caused ‘safety and operational issues’ this week, and the runway had to be closed.
It reopened on January 5, but the airport has warned that flights are still ‘subject to delay or cancellation’.
Aberdeen Airport
Passengers travelling from Aberdeen Airport are being urged to ‘check the status’ of their flight and take extra care when heading to the airport.
A post from the airport’s account on X (formerly Twitter) reads: ‘We continue to closely monitor conditions today and will carry out snow clearance as required to ensure safe and efficient operations’.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
More than 700 flights have been cancelled at Schiphol Airport, most of which were European journeys. More flights are expected to be cancelled, with the airport authority ordering airlines to slash service by 70% today.
On the airport’s website, it states that there will be ‘very limited’ flights on January 7.
‘On Wednesday, due to persistent winter weather and heavy winds, only limited air traffic is possible to and from Schiphol. As a precaution, more than 700 flights are cancelled. More cancellations are expected. This will be mostly European flights.’
They advised passengers to check current flight information before travelling to the airport, and if their flight has been cancelled before they leave for the airport, not to make the journey.
More than 1,000 people are thought to have spent the night at the airport on Tuesday evening, with tens of thousands of people impacted, including thousands of passengers from the UK.
British Airways cancelled 10 flights between London Heathrow and Amsterdam, as well as a round-trip service from London City.
In a post on Instagram, they added: ‘Together with our airport partners, we are doing everything we can to keep travellers moving. Our snow fleet is working around the clock to clear runways and taxiways, and aircraft are undergoing two-step de-icing to ensure safety.’
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Paris Orly Airport
The airport in Paris shared a travel warning on X, alerting customers that snow was forecast for January 7 and passengers should ‘expect flight delays and cancellations’ at both Charles de Gaulle Airport and Orly Airport.
They added that access to airports might also be disrupted also and people should check flight info before heading to the airport and plan all journeys in advance.
LNER trains
Earlier this week, LNER warned passengers that they ‘cannot guarantee a service will run’ between Edinburgh and Aberdeen until Friday, January 9 ‘at the earliest’ due to heavy snowfall.
They’ve since said ‘services are returning to normal’, but continue to urge anyone travelling between these two stations to ‘check your entire journey’ as there may still be delays and route alterations.
ScotRail
ScotRail has had to close parts of its line to Aberdeen, as well as the route between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh, this week.
National Rail shared an update on X this morning, stating that the ‘vast majority’ of Scotland’s railway is now open once more but warned that ‘challenges remain’ due to deep snow between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh to Wick/Thurso.
Merseyrail
Merseyrail has let customers know that journeys may be affected by ongoing low temperatures and to check services before travelling.
National Rail
National Rail has said that services across England, Wales and Scotland may be ‘affected’ due to snow and ice, as well as the incoming Storm Goretti. They’ve said services will likely be impacted on January 8 and 9 and told passengers to check for updates before they travel.
Great Northern
All train lines have reopened, but some services have been cancelled or altered and may not stop at all stations. Expect delays of up to 20 minutes on all journeys and allow extra time for your journey.
What are my rights if my flight has been cancelled?
In the UK and EU, airlines must look after you if your flight is delayed or cancelled. This includes everything from meals and accommodation to an alternative flight if necessary.
Citizen’s Advice says that airlines should also give impacted passengers access to phone calls and emails, and, if they offer you a place to stay, organise the journeys between the hotel and the airport.
Sometimes, the airline will cover this by handing you vouchers at the airport. When in doubt, keep any receipts for expenses and claim them back afterwards from the airline.
But an airline will only cough up money for ‘reasonable’ expenses.
If you didn’t book with a UK or EU airline, you’ll need to check their terms and conditions. However, for the most part, airlines should provide meals and accommodation as appropriate.
When am I eligible for this support?
Whether you’re eligible for the above depends on the distance of your flight and how long you have waited:
- For medium-haul (between 1,500km and 3,500km over two to four hours), it’s three hours or more.
- For long-haul (more than 3,500km over four hours or more), it’s four hours or more.
- For short-haul (up to 1,500km over two hours or less), you must have been waiting for two hours or more.
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