Vienna International Airport (VIE) was forced to temporarily shut down on Friday, February 20, 2026, after heavy snowfall overwhelmed runway clearing and de-icing operations. Reuters reported the disruption was extended into late morning, with the airport saying limited departures could resume around midday and landings from about 1:00 p.m. local time. By then, roughly 150 flights had already been cancelled out of about 232 scheduled through midday.
The snow disruption also triggered a wave of diversions. Local reporting in Austria said two Austrian Airlines long-haul flights from the US, OS36 from New York JFK and OS42 from Washington, were diverted to Klagenfurt, with passengers then transported onward by bus. Separate regional coverage said eight Austrian Airlines aircraft landed unexpectedly in Linz, effectively turning it into a temporary diversion hub for AUA operations.
AUA reportedly cancelled around 100 flights (about 13,000 passengers affected), while Luxair also cancelled multiple Luxembourg–Vienna rotations on Friday. The broader storm hit eastern Austria hard, with road closures, power outages, and major transport disruptions reported, as well as aviation impacts.
Images: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand, dpa Picture-Alliance