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BFF-37
FRANCE-BRITAIN-WEATHER-SKIING
Bad weather strands 1,000 tourists in French Alps
GRENOBLE, France, Jan 5, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Nearly 1,000 tourists, mostly
British, were stuck in the French Alps on Saturday night after their flights
were cancelled due to bad weather, authorities said.
Heavy fog covered the ski slopes around Chambery on Saturday, leading to
the cancellation of seven flights out of the local airport and delays of
several others.
Some 535 holiday-makers bedded down for the night at the conference centre
in the town of Aix-les-Bains, 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Chambery,
while 450 others were bussed to hotels, the region’s administrative
authority, the Savoie prefecture, told AFP on Sunday.
“The passengers will be able to take off today from Lyon, Grenoble and
Geneva airports,” the prefecture said, adding that more buses had been
chartered to cover the various airports.
Chambery is a popular gateway to the northern French Alps, with airlines
operating direct flights from London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1931 hrs