Geneva airport reopens after heavy snowfall

Operations at the Geneva's Cointrin Airport reopened after heavy snowfall had made its runways inaccessible on Thursday.

According to airport authorities, flights started departing at around 11 am (local time) and arrivals were not expected until 1 pm (local time).

In its official page, the Geneve Aeroport wrote on Twitter, "The runway is open at #GeneveAeroport for takeoffs. Delays and cancellations are expected. Landings are scheduled at 13h."

"We recommend that passengers check with their airline to see if their flight is still scheduled for departure," said the airport on its website.

In contrast, airline traffic at the Kloten Airport at Zurich did not appear to be affected by the blizzard-like conditions, although minor delays were reported.

Operations at the Cointrin Airport was shut down for few hours on Thursday due to heavy snowfall, with airport authorities advising passengers to restrict their travel during the affected hours, local media reported.

The snowfall which began overnight disrupted the road and rail travel elsewhere in Switzerland.

Federal rail operator SBB announced delays and restrictions on many rail routes due to the snow, with issues between Lausanne and Geneva, around Bern, Vallorbe in Vaud and Stabio in the canton of Ticino. Also, the Neuchatel station in Neuchatel town was partially closed due to the snow, according to local media reports.

On the roads, many accidents and tailbacks were reported, particularly in the cantons of Valais and Vaud. The police have warned drivers to drive safely during the adverse weather conditions.

Siberian weather system forecasters earlier predicted that the current snowfall is due to the "Beast of the East" snowstorm, which brought snow, gusty and icy cold winds and record freezing temperatures to many countries across Europe.