Fog Leads to Early Flight Cancellations at Belfast City Airport

Operations at Belfast City Airport are stabilizing following several hours of interruptions attributed to freezing fog. A yellow weather alert for fog, issued on Wednesday afternoon, resulted in the cancellation of flights and the rerouting of some services originating from the airport. Among those impacted was Andrew Wilson, a Mid and East Antrim councillor, whose flight from Cardiff bound for Belfast was redirected to Cork on Wednesday evening. His journey from the airport to his residence in Carrickfergus ultimately spanned 14 hours. He remarked to BBC News NI, “We could have flown to the USA in a shorter length of time.” Mr. Wilson’s trip to Cardiff was for business purposes, and he was scheduled to return to Belfast with Aer Lingus at noon on Wednesday. He reached Cardiff Airport around 10:00 GMT, where he was promptly informed of a delay for his flight due to the fog. The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) councillor communicated with relatives in Carrickfergus, who reported that “visibility was pretty poor” in County Antrim. He stated, “They were concerned that we wouldn’t be able to land.” The aircraft, after its delay, eventually departed at approximately 15:00 GMT. However, about an hour into the journey, pilots announced that conditions in Belfast had worsened, necessitating a diversion. Mr. Wilson recounted that passengers were informed of the unavailability of landing slots at Belfast International Airport and that Dublin’s capacity was also exhausted. He commented, “I don’t think anyone expected that we would end up in Cork.” He further mentioned that he had not visited the city previously and had “never really been south of Dublin.” Aer Lingus arranged bus transport for the passengers to return to Belfast, and Mr. Wilson reached his home in Carrickfergus shortly after midnight. He noted, however, that the extended travel was considerably more difficult for a couple accompanied by their four-year-old child. He concluded, “At the end of the day, I think we’re all thankful that they got us home.” The fog persisted into Thursday morning, impacting seven early-morning departures from Belfast City Airport that had been cancelled the previous evening. A flight destined for Amsterdam, originally scheduled for 06:30, was re-timed for an 08:00 departure. The yellow fog warning, which became effective on Wednesday afternoon, concluded at 08:00. Nevertheless, motorists received advisories regarding challenging driving conditions.