Storm Austen and Boelo: Cancellations and Diversions Sweep Western Europe
Storms Austen and Boelo disrupted flights across Western Europe and the UK over the weekend of 23–25 October 2026, hitting Channel Island airports hardest.
By The Aviation Hub
4 min read
Storm Austen swept across Western Europe on Friday, 23 October 2026, forcing cancellations and diversions at airports from the Channel Islands to the Netherlands, before a second storm, Boelo, extended the disruption into the weekend.
The scale of the disruption varied sharply by location. Smaller regional airports bore the brunt, while major hubs continued to operate with adjustments rather than widespread closures.
How Storm Austen Hit the Channel Islands
Jersey was among the worst-affected airports on Friday. Aviation24.be reports that 41 flight movements were cancelled at the airport, made up of 22 departures and 19 arrivals, based on an assessment by aviation publication Aerosillage. Jersey authorities had issued a red wind warning ahead of the storm, forecasting gusts of approximately 61 to 70 knots.
Guernsey also experienced extensive disruption on Friday, with operations not resuming until Saturday, according to Aviation24.be.
Cancellations Across France
In western France, the same Aerosillage assessment recorded 11 cancelled movements at Brest and three at Caen. Transavia departures from Nantes were also affected. These figures represent individual arrivals and departures rather than return journeys, and do not constitute a comprehensive regional total.
At Paris Charles de Gaulle, the storm prompted diversions rather than a wholesale shutdown. Aviation24.be notes that French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot reported aircraft being redirected to Paris Orly, with further diversions to other airports anticipated.
Diversions at Brussels and Amsterdam Schiphol
Brussels Airport experienced disruption from both directions. Aviation24.be reports that a Brussels Airlines flight from Marseille diverted to Amsterdam Schiphol, while several aircraft originally bound for French airports landed at Brussels Zaventem instead, according to airport spokeswoman Ihsane Chioua Lekhli. The available reporting does not establish a cancellation total for Brussels Airport or Brussels South Charleroi, and the disruption should not be read as a general closure of Belgian airports.
KLM cancelled 20 flights on Friday and announced a further 22 cancellations for Saturday because of strong winds in the Netherlands, an airline spokesperson told Reuters, as cited by Aviation24.be. Schiphol reported limited overall disruption at the time, with no other airlines cancelling flights for the same weather conditions.
The disruption was not confined to airfields. Aviation24.be notes that fallen trees, disrupted rail services and road restrictions also complicated surface travel to airports across the affected region.
Earlier on Friday, easyJet was among the airlines making adjustments to cope with the storm. We reported how easyJet moved its Southampton flights to Gatwick as the weather closed in. You can track how individual carriers responded using our Airline Search tool.
Storm Boelo Extends the Disruption
As airlines worked to restore their schedules over the weekend, a second named storm arrived. The Yorkshire Post reports that Storm Boelo brought an amber wind warning across much of Yorkshire, with the Met Office recording gusts of 60 to 70 mph across Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England, and more than 80 mph at exposed coastal spots.
Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said: "Storm Boelo will be felt across the UK this weekend, with the strongest winds and greatest potential for disruption in the north." He added that heavy rain would provide an additional hazard, particularly in northern areas.
Leeds Bradford Airport Takes a Hit
Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) was particularly vulnerable. The Yorkshire Post notes that LBA is the highest commercial airport in England above sea level, at 208 metres, making it especially susceptible to high winds.
Three early morning arrivals on Sunday, 25 October were diverted away from LBA: the 06:55 from Dublin, the 08:00 from Palma and the 08:05 from Malaga. Further flights were cancelled outright, including the 08:00 services from Dublin and Belfast City and the 09:40 from Amsterdam. On departures, the 06:00 to Amsterdam, the 08:30 flights to Belfast City and Dublin, and the 10:15 to Amsterdam were all cancelled, according to the Yorkshire Post.
Dublin Airport also experienced disruption over the same period. The Yorkshire Post reports that as of 16:00 on Saturday, nine outbound and ten inbound flights had been cancelled by airlines because of weather conditions.
The Bottom Line
Storm Austen and Storm Boelo together produced a sustained period of disruption across Western Europe and the UK. The Channel Islands, western France, the Netherlands and northern England all saw significant cancellations and diversions over 23 to 25 October, though no single Europe-wide total is available from the sources reviewed. Airlines and airports will be focused on clearing the backlog of disrupted passengers and repositioned aircraft in the days ahead.
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