Vienna Airport hit with oVerwhelminG stEnch

Air travellers arriving at Vienna International Airport late Tuesday morning probably would’ve had something other than sweet mountain air or the city’s iconic strudel on their minds as they stepped off arriving aircraft.

A strong stench of decomposing waste or farm materials took over the air, even infiltrating into aircraft cabins and parts of the terminal. One traveller complained that it caused mild throat soreness.

One airport staffer said the smell was coming from a nearby compost heap. An Austrian Airlines ground staffer told My Savvy Traveller: “We’ve no idea what it is. It started this morning.”

My Savvy Traveller observes that the stench is very similar to that coming from the Vancouver landfill in Delta, BC

The airport authority provided an answer via Twitter at 13:00 local time: “Fertilisation work is currently underway in the areas surrounding Vienna Airport. Unfortunately, there is also an unpleasant smell on the airport grounds.”