TOKYO (XINHUA) - About 2,000 travellers were stranded overnight at a key airport through Sunday (Jan 6) in Hokkaido, northern Japan, as heavy snow caused flight cancellations, local media reported.

Flights were cancelled last Saturday night, as two runways at the New Chitose Airport were closed because of heavy snow.

As 105 flights were cancelled last Saturday, check-in counters at the airport got swamped with people trying to book new flights to take them home.

Airport staff handed out sleeping bags and blankets to the travellers whose flights were cancelled.

Most flights through Monday are fully booked so the stranded passengers might not be able to book new tickets until Tuesday, according to airline officials.

Hokkaido is a popular winter destination among both overseas and domestic travellers.