Storm Austen disrupted air travel across Western Europe on Friday, forcing cancellations at airports in the Channel Islands, France and the Netherlands and diverting flights from Paris and other French destinations. Jersey Airport recorded 41 cancelled movements, while KLM cancelled 20 flights and planned 22 more cancellations for Saturday as strong winds and heavy rain reduced operating capacity across the region.
Jersey’s total comprised 22 cancelled departures and 19 arrivals. Brest recorded 11 cancellations and Caen three, while airports elsewhere in western France also reported disruption. Wind gusts reached 84 mph (135 km/h) in Jersey and up to 111 mph (179 km/h) in parts of the wider affected region.
Paris Charles de Gaulle diverted flights to Paris Orly and other airports as conditions worsened. Brussels Airport received some aircraft originally bound for French airports, while a Brussels Airlines service from Marseille diverted to Amsterdam Schiphol. The diversions did not represent a general closure of Belgian airports, and no consolidated Europe-wide cancellation total was available.
Schiphol reported limited overall disruption despite KLM’s cancellations. The storm also affected services across the United Kingdom and other European airports, with further Channel Islands disruption continuing into Saturday.