Heavy fog and snowfall causes flight cancellations

On 19 July 2010 authorities reported the cancellation of 30 of 149 scheduled flights at Buenos Aires’ Jorge Newberry Airport (SABE/AEP) as a result of heavy fog and snowfall. The remainder of the scheduled flights operated with two- or three-hour delays. Weather conditions have limited operations at the facility for several days, impacting an estimated 97,000 passengers at the beginning of winter vacation, one of the most popular travel times in Argentina. Domestic flights to Bahia Blanca, Catamarca, Cordoba, Rio Grande, San Luis, Santa Fe, Tucuman and Viedma were the most affected by cancellations, as were international flights to Montevideo, Uruguay, and Santiago, Chile. Authorities expect weather conditions to improve marginally on 20 July, but do not expect flight services to normalize until 21 July. Inclement weather also caused flight cancellations and delays at Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza International Airport (SAEZ/EZE), though not to the degree experienced at SABE/AEP. Travelers to Buenos Aires should prepare for possible flight disruptions and should check with airline personnel to obtain up-to-date flight status information.