CNN —
After Storm Isha caused numerous flight cancellations, diversions, and go-arounds in western Europe, thousands of airline customers woke up this morning at the incorrect destination—and even in the wrong country.
Flying is normally the fastest method to go from point A to point B, but for those who were traveling to and from Ireland and the UK last night, it turned into an ordeal. The storm severely damaged airports in Ireland and the UK, tearing across the runways with winds as high as 90 mph.
Many airplanes that were headed west made safer landing diversions in continental Europe; frequently, they had already reached their destination when they attempted to land. Due to its location in Dublin, Ryanair was particularly impacted. According to Kevin Cullinane, global head of communications at daa, the company that operates Dublin Airport, 166 inbound and outward flights were canceled on Sunday. Many airplanes that were headed west made safer landing diversions in continental Europe; frequently, they had already reached their destination when they attempted to land. Due to its location in Dublin, Ryanair was particularly impacted. According to Kevin Cullinane, global head of communications at daa, the company that operates Dublin Airport, 166 inbound and outward flights were canceled on Sunday.
In addition, there were 36 flight diversions and 34 go-arounds at the airport, which occur when an aircraft decides to “go around” for a second attempt at landing.
The figures provide context for the remarkable occurrences that transpired during aircraft attempts to finish their flights to and from Ireland.
FR555, another Ryanair aircraft, was scheduled to make a brief stopover from Manchester to Dublin. It made a go-around and diverted to Paris Beauvais after circling the area in a holding position and attempting to land at Dublin. An hour and a half was added to the normally half-hour flight time.
FR555, another Ryanair aircraft, was scheduled to make a brief stopover from Manchester to Dublin. It made a go-around and diverted to Paris Beauvais after circling the area in a holding position and attempting to land at Dublin. An hour and a half was added to the normally half-hour flight time.
For more than three hours, a Manchester-Dublin flight alternated between the UK and Ireland. It seemed to circle but abandoned its landing at Dublin, tried to touch down in Belfast (where it circled again), flew over Glasgow, and finally touched down in Liverpool, which is only 31 miles from the airport of departure.
third, FR816, due to make the hour-long flight from Shannon to Edinburgh, flew all the way to Scotland and then diverted to Cologne, in Germany. It was heavily delayed, too: due to depart Dublin at 3.35 p.m. it arrived in Cologne around midnight.In order to make the hour-long trip from Shannon to Edinburgh, the third aircraft, FR816, took a detour and traveled all the way to Scotland before arriving in Cologne, Germany. It arrived in Cologne about midnight, having left Dublin at 3.35 p.m. It was also severely delayed.
A Lufthansa flight from Munich to Dublin was forced to do a go-around and return to Munich.
