Arctic weather means time is running out at Dublin Airport for people trying to get home for Christmas.
Passengers travelling for Christmas are left with a logistical nightmare as flights are cancelled because of snow and freezing temperatures.
Airlines have been battling to get passengers in and out of Dublin. Aer Lingus was forced to cancel all its flights leaving Dublin after 4.00 pm this afternoon and passengers were at a loss at how to get home for Christmas.
In lengthy queues, those flying Aer Lingus heard they would not be leaving tonight.
Declan Kearney, Aer Lingus, said the airline was left with no option but to cancel flights. One of the runways at Dublin Airport was closed for some time today, which had a knock on effect for the entire schedule.
Planes were grounded as runways became increasingly dangerous. Runways were reopened later in the day, leaving pilots to navigate poor visibility. Ryanair, too, were forced to cancel six flights and rebook passengers. Stephen McNamara, Director of Communications at Ryanair, said that the four hour closure of the runway by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) was excessive. The DAA said it was doing everything possible to keep the airport open. Siobhan Moore, DAA, said that snow and ice teams were working hard to keep disruption to a minimum.
The airlines say everything is being done to get people home but the clock is ticking. It's now under 36 hours to Christmas Day.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 23 December 2010. The reporter is Ray Kennedy.
