Snow in Europe closes Gatwick, Geneva airports

[December 01, 2010]  GENEVA (AP) -- Heavy snow and subzero temperatures in western Europe closed at least four airports Wednesday, including Gatwick, one of Britain's busiest.

Edinburgh airport in Scotland, Lyon-Bron airport in southeastern France, and Geneva, Switzerland's second biggest airport, were all shuttered as staff struggled to clear the runways.

Zurich airport reported delays and cancelations on the day many VIPs, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Spanish Prime Minister, were traveling to FIFA's headquarters in that Swiss city to push their countries' bids to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

A spokeswoman for Zurich airport said officials anticipate heavy snowfall there from 1 p.m. (noon GMT) but expect to keep flights going.

Still, the presence of so many private jets in Zurich on Wednesday means the airport has had to turn down requests for diverted landings, said Sonja Zoechling.

"We don't have any free space at the moment," she told The Associated Press.

The European air traffic control authority Eurocontrol also reported severe delays at Berlin's Tegel airport and in northern Spain.

Geneva airport will be closed until at least 2 p.m. (1300 GMT), said spokesman Bertrand Staempfli.

Gatwick will remain shut until early Thursday morning, stranding about 600 flights that were expected to depart Wednesday, a spokeswoman said. The airport has added extra staff on the ground working "around the clock" to clear the runways, she added. Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport but to check with their airline or visit Gatwick's website for updates.

Eurostar trains through the Channel Tunnel also were affected. Operators said six trains to and from London were canceled and delays of up to 30 minutes on other services were expected.

Swiss weather agency Meteosuisse forecast more snowfall throughout the day as a low-pressure front centered over western Europe moves slowly eastward.

[Associated Press; By FRANK JORDANS]

Associated Press writer Cassandra Vinograd in London contributed to this report.

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