A snowstorm in Moscow was the cause of major headaches for travelers on Sunday, with flight delays and cancellations at airports throughout the city, the Interfax news agency reported.
About 80 flights faced delays at airports throughout the city, usually lasting from about 10 to 15 minutes while airport workers cleared snow on the runway, Interfax reported, citing Sergei Izvolsky, adviser to the head of Russia's aviation watchdog.
Izvolsky denied earlier reports, saying claims that some 120 flights had been delayed didn't "correspond with reality."
As of Sunday afternoon, 16 arrivals and 27 departures were delayed at Domodedovo Airport, and 12 flights had been canceled. Vnukovo Airport was also experiencing difficulties, with nine flights delayed. At Sheremetyevo Airport, 28 flights were delayed.
Earlier, Pyotr Biryukov, deputy mayor for housing and public works, warned of an array of "unfavorable conditions" hitting the city.
"During the day today the weather will be cloudy, there will be snow, a blizzard, a southwestern wind with gusts of up to 15 meters per second, and a temperature of between 1 degree Celsius and minus 1 C. The increase in snow may amount to 10 centimeters by the evening. In these difficult conditions, 15,000 snow plows will be working in the city, including 4,000 dumpers," Biryukov was cited as saying by Interfax.
