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Turbulent Landings at Rhodes Airport: Strong Winds Disrupt Travel
Intense video footage reveals the challenges faced by planes attempting to land on the Greek island of Rhodes. This weekend, strong winds buffeted aircraft, causing them to rock violently. One passenger jet struggled to touchdown, while another flight was forced to abort its landing at Rhodes International Airport.
Chaotic Scenes Amidst Severe Weather
A video circulating on TikTok captured a plane as it heavily hit the runway on Saturday. The aircraft was visibly shaken by powerful gusts.
- Another video documented a Lauda Air flight’s unsuccessful attempt to land due to the extreme weather conditions.
Widespread Flight Disruptions in Greece
The severe winds resulted in immense travel complications across Greece. Passengers endured:
- Flight cancellations
- Significant delays
Social media was flooded with images depicting stranded passengers inside Rhodes airport, many of whom were sitting on the floor, awaiting updates.
One flight, originating from Brussels and destined for Rhodes, was rerouted to Athens because of the perilous weather, according to Aviation24.
In Crete, Heraklion Airport experienced substantial delays as crosswinds made safe landings difficult for pilots.
Weather Front from Tunisia
Greece’s meteorological authority, the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, reported that a strong northeasterly weather system moved from the Tunisian coast into the eastern Mediterranean.
Paris Orly Airport Also Plunged into Chaos
In related news, Paris Orly Airport faced its own set of issues. A control tower malfunctioned, thereby prompting the cancellation of 130 flights.
Air Traffic Control Failure
- Thousands of travelers were left searching for alternative routes on Sunday following a ‘failure in their air traffic control systems.’
- Approximately 40 percent of the day’s scheduled departures and arrivals were canceled, according to an Aeroports de Paris representative.
Stranded Passengers and Delayed Flights
Numerous passengers hoping to travel to destinations like Spain, Italy, Austria, and Germany found themselves stranded. Others experienced considerable delays.
France’s DGAC civil aviation authority attributed the ‘significant’ decrease in flight operations to an ‘air traffic control systems failure’ occurring at the Orly control tower earlier in the afternoon.
An inside source revealed that a radar breakdown triggered the disruption at the travel hub.
The airport spokesman stated that roughly half of the 130 canceled flights were departures, with the remaining half being incoming flights.