Expatica news

Second day of delays at Schiphol Airport

UPDATED 7 October 2005

AMSTERDAM — Heavy fog led to a second consecutive day of delays at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.

Experts began work on Friday morning to dismantle a World War II bomb near the airport. The Polderbaan runway was closed on Thursday amid fears the bomb might explode, sending out shockwaves that could pose a risk to low-flying planes.

The 500-pound bomb was made safe by 4.30pm. It was discovered during excavation work in a field beside the N205 close to the district of Vijfhuizen on Wednesday.

The combination of the bomb and heavy mist caused major delays at Schiphol on Thursday. Several hundred passengers were stranded overnight at the airport.

“Visibility remains the biggest spoilsport. It extends to slightly more than 350 metres but we expect the fog to thicken and cause even greater delays,” a spokesperson for air traffic control said on Friday morning.

At 7.45am, the airport was handling 50 incoming aircraft per hour, but the number of landings was expected to drop to 20 per hour later.

The spokesperson said the Zwanenburgbaan runway was put back into operation for incoming flights by 7am. The Polderbaan runway remained closed until the bomb was dismantled.

Taking a train to some European destinations is not an option for many stranded passengers. International trains from the Netherlands to Brussels and Paris are not operating on Friday due to a general strike in Belgium.

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2005]

Subject: Dutch news