The A21 highway was closed in both directions due to heavy snowfall, and multiple accidents were reported on the West Autobahn in Lower Austria. Train service was largely unaffected, but delays were experienced on Vienna’s tram and bus lines.
Severe winter weather has temporarily suspended operations at Vienna Airport in Schwechat on Friday. Airport spokesperson Peter Kleemann stated, “From our current perspective, individual departures should be possible from 9:00 a.m., and landings from 10:00 a.m. Still, further delays are still expected.” The Vienna Outer Ring Autobahn (A21) was closed to traffic. Numerous accidents in eastern Austria prompted responses from fire departments.
“We recommend that travelers check with their airlines for the status of their booked flights,” Kleemann said. Passengers whose connections have been canceled are asked not to come to the airport. Incoming flights were diverted to other airports. Approximately 117 flights – both arriving and departing – were scheduled between early Friday and 9:00 a.m., with 19 already canceled, and further cancellations are possible. Crews are working “flat out” to resume flight operations as quickly as possible. “According to current weather forecasts, the snowfall should subside during the morning,” the spokesperson added.
“The precipitation has been continuous since overnight, and we are currently recording around 20 centimeters of snow,” Kleemann reported. Winter maintenance crews have been continuously deployed since Thursday evening, with around 200 employees and over 100 vehicles working to clear and de-ice surfaces. Approximately 1,000 truckloads, totaling around 15,000 tons of snow, have been removed in the last twelve hours. An area of approximately three million square meters – including the apron, runways, taxiways, and all other operational and traffic areas – needs to be cleared.
The A21 was closed in both directions along its entire length overnight. Detours were limited to major routes. Several accidents and partial closures occurred on the West Autobahn (A1) in Lower Austria. ÖBB spokesperson Christopher Seif said that train service in Lower Austria was not significantly impacted so far.
Emergency services, fire departments, and police have been on continuous deployment since Thursday evening, according to Philipp Gutlederer of Notruf NÖ. Traffic accidents in the snow are occurring frequently, with most incidents involving vehicles on the highway, including tractor-trailers. As of early Friday, 30 traffic accidents requiring emergency response had been reported. So far, most injuries have been minor, with two people sustaining serious injuries, Gutlederer said. “However, we are receiving continuous emergency calls regarding traffic accidents during the morning rush hour. We expect the situation to ease around noon,” Gutlederer added.
In the past twelve hours, emergency responders were called out around 130 times – significantly more than during the last comparable winter storm, according to Feuerwehrsprecher Klaus Stebal, speaking to ORF NÖ. In Wiener Neudorf (Mödling district), several trees that could not withstand the weight of the snow had to be removed using chainsaws, the fire department reported in a statement.
Straßenbahnen and buses are showing delays due to the weather in the Vienna Lines app.
As of Friday morning, the winter weather had not significantly impacted train service. “There are currently no major disruptions,” a spokesperson for ÖBB told the press. “However, we recommend that passengers allow more time for their journeys during the morning rush hour due to the weather conditions.”
Vienna’s public transportation system is experiencing significant disruptions. Users are reporting long wait times, with multiple trams stalled on lines such as the 43. You can find the latest updates on the Wiener Linien service page.
