Beluga operations at Hawarden Airport have been cancelled due to weather challenges in North Wales as Storm Austen brings strong winds to the region.
The disruption came as Storm Austen brought strong winds across North Wales, including Flintshire and Wrexham.
A Met Office yellow warning for wind had initially been due to come into force at midnight on Friday before the start time was changed to 10am.
The warning remains in force until 9pm.
The Met Office said inland gusts of around 45mph to 55mph were possible during Friday.
Airbus confirmed the weather was behind the cancellation of Beluga operations at the Broughton airport on Friday, October 23.
It comes during an unusually quiet day at Hawarden, with no flights recorded arriving at or departing from the airport at the time of publication.
A private jet bound for Hawarden also diverted to Birmingham during the day, although it has not been confirmed that its diversion was weather-related.
The aircraft, operating as VJH373, had been travelling from Cologne towards the Flintshire airport.
Flight-tracking data showed it travelling towards North Wales before getting as far as the Wolverhampton area, where it turned back and headed towards Birmingham Airport.
Strong winds were being recorded at Hawarden during the day.
An aviation weather report for the airport recorded north-westerly winds from 310 degrees at around 23 to 25 knots, with gusts reaching 37 knots.
Hawarden has one runway, designated 04/22.
The available airport information confirms its orientation as approximately 041 to 221 degrees.
This meant the north-westerly winds were creating a significant crosswind component across the runway.
Hawarden Airport sits alongside Airbus’s manufacturing operation at Broughton and is regularly used by the company’s distinctive Beluga transport aircraft.
While Airbus has specifically confirmed that its Beluga operations were cancelled because of weather challenges in North Wales, no official reason has been confirmed for VJH373 diverting to Birmingham.
The Leader approached VistaJet for comment about the private jet diversion but had not received a response at the time of publication.
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