Snow is set to continue disrupting air traffic at Schiphol Airport in the coming days, airport authorities warned on Tuesday, as winter conditions force widespread cancellations and delays across one of Europe’s busiest hubs.
By the time operations began on Tuesday morning, more than 450 flights had already been canceled, with a further 200-plus scrapped in advance for Wednesday. Airlines most affected include KLM and Transavia, both of which operate large numbers of short-haul European routes from Schiphol.
At 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the airport’s website showed 229 canceled departures and 226 canceled arrivals. In addition, 13 outbound flights and 92 inbound services were delayed. Many of the cancellations involved return flights within Europe operated by KLM. The airline routinely cancels flights ahead of forecast bad weather to give passengers more time to adjust their travel plans.
Disruption has been building since the start of the week. On Monday, Schiphol was forced to temporarily ground all flights due to snow and icy conditions. More than half of the day’s scheduled services could not operate, leaving large numbers of travelers stranded in terminals. Airport officials confirmed that 381 departures and 406 arrivals were canceled outright, while 229 departing flights and 189 arriving services were delayed.
The pressure is unlikely to ease quickly. Eurocontrol, which coordinates air traffic management across the continent, warned that flight movements at Schiphol will remain “severely” limited until at least 8:00 p.m. De-icing aircraft and clearing snow from runways continue to constrain capacity.
To avoid congestion on the ground, inbound flights will be restricted until enough outbound aircraft have departed, Eurocontrol said. Weather conditions could further complicate operations, with mist, fog, and low cloud expected in the morning, followed by strong winds later in the day. Looking ahead to Wednesday, 101 departures and 109 arrivals have already been canceled.
Elsewhere in the Netherlands, the situation appeared more stable. No major issues were reported at Eindhoven Airport, the country’s second-largest airport, as of Tuesday morning. At Rotterdam The Hague Airport, the third largest, the first four departures of the day experienced delays, according to the airport’s website, but operations were otherwise continuing.
