After six consecutive days of mass flight cancellations, Schiphol Airport faced a further setback on Thursday morning when a power outage temporarily disrupted operations in one of its terminals.
The outage affected Terminal 2 shortly before 8:00 a.m. and lasted until around 9:30 a.m. During that time, lighting systems went dark and check-in operations were briefly halted. Airport authorities later confirmed that power had been fully restored, though it remained unclear whether the incident had a direct impact on flight departures or arrivals.
“Schiphol experienced a brief power outage in Terminal 2 this morning. This caused the lights to go out briefly, temporarily preventing check-in. The outage was quickly resolved, and passengers can now check in normally again. We apologize for any inconvenience caused,” the airport said in a statement.
The disruption added to existing pressure at the airport following nearly a week of severe winter-related cancellations. A spokesperson for KLM told NL Times that while queues were building up, the airline was working to limit the impact on passengers. “There are long queues, but KLM is doing everything possible to ensure that departing passengers leave on time,” the spokesperson said.
Journalists at the scene reported widespread confusion inside the terminal. According to NH Nieuws, all information screens were black during the outage, and long lines quickly formed at check-in areas. Some travellers appeared to be checking in at terminals that were not fully operational. “They’re using terminals that don’t seem to have any power. Whether that’s actually the case everywhere is unclear,” one reporter said.
Although the power failure was resolved within roughly 90 minutes, the incident compounded an already challenging situation for Schiphol, which has been grappling with prolonged disruption caused by snow, strong winds and operational constraints. Airport officials warned that knock-on effects, including queues and delays, could persist throughout the morning as systems and passenger flows return to normal.
