The bad weather played havoc with the airport at Brest. The control tower of the airport hub, the second largest in Brittany with over 900,000 passengers by 2023, was struck by lightning on 30 December during storm Géraldine.
Air traffic has been at a standstill since Sunday. Initially, the airport authorities had anticipated a resumption on Tuesday 2 January. It now appears that traffic will resume on 4 January, although the runways remain closed to traffic for the time being..
In a press release issued on 2 January 2024, the DGAC announced that ". the Brest Air Navigation Service (SNA) should reopen on the morning of Thursday 4 January 2024 to ensure that it is operational and able to handle commercial traffic on the weekend following the return from the school holidays ". Around ten flights a day are cancelled or diverted to nearby airports. This affects some 2,000 passengers a day.
According to the DGAC, the slow reopening of the airport is linked to the extent of the damage. " Despite the protective equipment fitted to the control tower and all the facilities, the main antenna and all the associated technical systems were struck by lightning. Although not located in the same place, the secondary antenna was also struck by lightning. ". The airport website also recommends that passengers contact their airline.
