Due to be travelling to Salzburg on Saturday but noticed snow is in the forecast... I assume these airports are better at dealing with snow than ours, but how well do they usually cope? I'd imagine quite a few people have experience of flying into Salzburg/Geneva/Grenoble etc etc with snow in the forecast, so would be great to hear about your experiences
Thanks
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Yeah, we fly in and out of INNS regularly. I wouldn't worry too much, they can deal with all but extreme conditions.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@btbt1024, I live near to the airport Salzburg. It can happen that there are flight disruptions because of weather such as snow, wind and fog, but it is very rare that the airport is closed because of this. There is a winter service to keep the runway and taxi roads clear.
We flew into Innsbruck (which is in a much more mountainous location than SZG) in foggy/snowy weather for our current ski trip (on 9th January).
We've twice previously been diverted from Innsbruck to Munich due to bad weather - so I half expected that to happen. On one of the flights, we were all but landed when the pilot aborted and flew to Munich instead
On this occasion, we emerged from the fog/cloud very near to the ground - all very impressive from easyjet I have to say.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Any significant snowfall can seriously disrupt Geneva airport. They can't deal with 10" of snow any better or faster than Manchester.
On this occasion, we emerged from the fog/cloud very near to the ground - all very impressive from easyjet I have to say.
I think I may've been on that one. Two go-arounds before getting it on the tarmac.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
mountainaddict wrote:
On this occasion, we emerged from the fog/cloud very near to the ground - all very impressive from easyjet I have to say.
Not forgetting those clever engineers from Airbus and their forebears that designed the kit to allow those well trained orange pilots to get you there.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Quote:
Not forgetting those clever engineers from Airbus and their forebears that designed the kit to allow those well trained orange pilots to get you there
I'd assumed that there there was some element of electronics involved - but did think (after a previous diversion to Munich) that there must also be some skill involved...On that occasion the pilot (rather unnervingly) circled for some time, before announcing something like 'The local lads from Lauder Air are landing - but I'm just deciding whether to give it a go.'
That was in 1993 - so computer systems etc may well have improved since then!
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
If travelling to the Dollies Venice is a good option. It doesn’t get snow and is reliable to get into in poor visibility. It’s a nice journey up to the mountains, usually in good weather, and you can add a few days onto you holiday to explore the city at a quiet time of year.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Out of all the traditional "ski airports" I believe Innsbruck and Chambery airports are the most likely to be effected by poor weather as they are both right in the mountains. Geneva also but not to the same extent of those two.
I believe the main issue with Innsbruck is visibility. We had a pilot on here a little while explaining that its a certain category of airport that requires a pilot to have a certain license to land a plane there (above what a pilot would normally have!). And also that I think it needs something like 11km of visibility? I may be remembering that wrong.
Saying that I remember flying into Turin once and you couldn't see anything till we were feet off the ground.
Never had a problem with Salzburg or Grenoble. I quite like to use Lyon if flying into France as well. It's an actual proper airport as opposed to Grenoble which is like a cow shed on some tarmac. Similar travel distances as well.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Fridge03,
Innsbruck has two problems - the terrain which is daunting (I haven't flown into there but it's a matter of looking out of the window UP to to mountains!) and also history. Once upon a time British Eagle had a disaster there and Civil Aviation Authority wouldn't let British commercial flights land until the mid 80's. That was when Dan-Air (remember them?) had numerous test flights with BAe 146 aircraft. Watching flights approaching INN, either from nearby on the ground or on Flightradar24 is, um, "interesting". In comparison to INN, Chambéry is the wide open prairies!
CMF has crosswind and tailwind restrictions as well as a similar training requirment to INN, but at least winds like that blow away the mist/fog!
GVA - during ten winter seasons based in France I can only remember GVA having snow problems once, Chambéry only two or three times. The problem at CMF is that pesky lake causing mist/fog combined with the fact that in winter it only really "works" two days a week so the cost of installing a precision landing system is disproportionate. Pity.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
HOW DOES INNSBRUCK AIRPORT DEAL WITH SNOW?
Heavy snow fall is also a problem, but more manageable. They have a very good snow clearance crew with six vehicles that drive together in unison. Within eight minutes they can clear the entire runway ready for landing. Basically, during snowfall, the runway at Innsbruck Airport doesn’t close like at other airports – it’s just on a break for eight minutes while it’s cleared, then landings can continue three minutes after.
As above, when there's a problem I think it's generally more visibility/fog related, but in all my years of flying in/out of Innsbruck, I've only been delayed once and never diverted or cancelled.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Many thanks all for your experiences - interesting stuff (and encouraging for the weekend)!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:
I believe the main issue with Innsbruck is visibility. We had a pilot on here a little while explaining that its a certain category of airport that requires a pilot to have a certain license to land a plane there (above what a pilot would normally have!). And also that I think it needs something like 11km of visibility?
As referenced earlier, we landed at INN in a virtual peasouper on 9th January. Could initially see the odd glimpse of mountain tops in and out of the foggy approach - but then nothing until we emerged below the fog, virtually at rooftop level, immediately before landing.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I was stuck at Salzburg airport for a few hours many years ago, they couldn't get the plane off the ground in UK. It was snowing heavily in Salzburg but they had a fleet of 7 snow ploughs the middle one with a v shaped blade the others with a blade going right or left as appropriate, they ran them up the runway and back down the taxi routes between each landing and take off.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Peter S wrote:
If travelling to the Dollies Venice is a good option. It doesn’t get snow and is reliable to get into in poor visibility. It’s a nice journey up to the mountains, usually in good weather, and you can add a few days onto you holiday to explore the city at a quiet time of year.
Couldn't agree more. A skoosh. I've used Treviso a few times from Edinburgh. Landed, through passport control and bags collected in 15 mins. if not driving, it's an easy journey on the train to Bolzano or Ponte Gardena before the bus up the hill. I like to go on a Friday, have a night in the Laurin in Bolzano and get the first bus up the hill for first lift on a Saturday. This time next week......
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Nemisis wrote:
@Fridge03,
Innsbruck has two problems - the terrain which is daunting (I haven't flown into there but it's a matter of looking out of the window UP to to mountains!)
Only diverted once in all the times in to Innsbruck and that was when a backup navigation system failed on a BA flight and the rules wouldn't allow landing, they said - we were diverted to Munich. Otherwise landed in all sorts of conditions including cloud and snow.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Our flight home didn't manage to get to Innsbruck last Saturday 22nd
Had a nice stopover in the old town
We have had a few delays before but first time in about thirty years of landing in Innsbruck and Salzburg we have been delayed overnight
Our friends were flying home from Innsbruck last Saturday early evening after snow for much of the day. Announcements were made cancelling Jet 2 and EJ fights (as the snowploughs were up and down the runway) but their TUI flight went ahead, albeit about an hour late. Neither of them are nervous flyers but the did feel a tad trepidatious taking off in snow, in the dark
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
We’ve had several big travel delays, both going in and out, due to Innsbruck Airport over the years.
Each an entire day or more of the airport being effectively closed.
The last for us was in January 2019, the Saturday straight after New Year.
When it’s snow heavily, I assume that the accompanying low clouds and close mountains are the cause.
You can have £10m’s of ploughs and snowblowers on the ground, but that doesn’t make landing in a snowstorm safe for the pilot.
We flew into Innsbruck (which is in a much more mountainous location than SZG) in foggy/snowy weather for our current ski trip (on 9th January).
We've twice previously been diverted from Innsbruck to Munich due to bad weather - so I half expected that to happen. On one of the flights, we were all but landed when the pilot aborted and flew to Munich instead
On this occasion, we emerged from the fog/cloud very near to the ground - all very impressive from easyjet I have to say.
That happened to us many years ago.
We were just 100m’s of altitude from landing at Innsbruck, we could see the ground and vicinity, then without warning the plane rose rapidly. No announcements from the captain at all, silence.
Then “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ll shortly be landing at Munich”.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Snow&skifan wrote:
We’ve had several big travel delays, both going in and out, due to Innsbruck Airport over the years.
Each an entire day or more of the airport being effectively closed.
The last for us was in January 2019, the Saturday straight after New Year.
When it’s snow heavily, I assume that the accompanying low clouds and close mountains are the cause.
You can have £10m’s of ploughs and snowblowers on the ground, but that doesn’t make landing in a snowstorm safe for the pilot.
Though tbf that January was as exceptional as exceptions to the norm get - during that period the Nordkette mountains directly above Innsbruck recorded 9 metres of new snow between 31st Dec and 15th Jan, 7 metres of which fell in a 7 day period. That's something like the 3rd highest weekly snowfall total ever recorded (IIRC correctly the highest is somewhere in California). And for perspective, Mount Baker's (officially the worlds snowiest ski resort, their season record is around 29 metres) highest recorded MONTHLY snowfall total is 683cm.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
- but did think (after a previous diversion to Munich) that there must also be some skill involved...On that occasion the pilot (rather unnervingly) circled for some time, before announcing something like 'The local lads from Lauder Air are landing - but I'm just deciding whether to give it a go.' 
