Travelers passing through Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, faced fresh disruption as at least 25 flights were canceled and more than 100 delayed, affecting a mix of European and long haul routes.

Services operated by KLM, German Airways, HOP!, Air France, United Airlines and several other carriers were hit, with knock-on effects for passengers flying to and from cities including Bordeaux, Hamburg, Montreal, Frankfurt and London.

The latest operational challenges come on top of a difficult January for Schiphol, which has battled persistent winter weather, reduced runway capacity and lingering schedule imbalances from earlier large scale cancellations.

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New Wave of Cancellations and Delays at Schiphol

Operational data from Schiphol’s arrivals and departures board on Wednesday morning showed around 25 flights listed as canceled and well over 100 departures and arrivals experiencing delays stretching from several minutes to more than two hours. While the numbers are far lower than the mass disruptions earlier in the month, the new wave of irregular operations has been enough to unsettle travelers and complicate itineraries across the airline networks that rely on Amsterdam as a major transfer hub.

KLM, the largest carrier at Schiphol, appears once again to be the most exposed, with a mix of intra European routes and medium haul services affected. Regional partners and codeshare operators including German Airways and HOP!, which operate feeder flights under contract for major airlines, have also been impacted. Additional delays are reported on services flown by Air France and United Airlines, reflecting how even moderate disruption at a large hub can cascade through transatlantic and intra European schedules.

Schiphol has not attributed Wednesday’s disruption to a single cause, but the day’s flight board patterns are consistent with an operation still recovering from weeks of severe winter weather and capacity constraints. Earlier in January, a combination of heavy snow, strong crosswinds and a shortage of de icing fluid forced airlines to cancel hundreds of flights to and from the Dutch gateway over several consecutive days. Those cancellations left aircraft and crew out of position and created a backlog of passengers who had to be rebooked onto later services, putting sustained pressure on seat availability.

Key Routes Hit: From Bordeaux and Hamburg to Montreal and London

The latest cancellations and delays at Schiphol have affected a broad spread of destinations, underlining Amsterdam’s role as a pan European and intercontinental transfer point. On the European side, regional cities such as Bordeaux and Hamburg have seen flights grounded or rescheduled, disrupting both point to point travelers and those intending to connect onward to long haul services. Hamburg and Frankfurt are particularly sensitive routes because they are important business links as well as feeders into wider global networks.

Services to and from the United Kingdom, especially London, have also experienced delays. London is one of Schiphol’s most heavily trafficked destinations, with flights scheduled throughout the day by multiple carriers. Even modest delays on such high frequency routes can quickly compound, pushing back subsequent rotations and tightening aircraft turnaround times. For travelers connecting via Amsterdam to destinations in North America, Africa or Asia, even a short delay on a feeder leg can be enough to miss a long haul departure and face rebooking onto later services.

Transatlantic traffic has not been spared. Flights linking Amsterdam with North American gateways including Montreal have seen schedule changes and extended ground times. United Airlines, which operates services between Amsterdam and its hubs in the United States, has recorded delays alongside partner carriers in transatlantic joint ventures. While most of these long haul flights have still operated, disruptions at the regional level have affected many passengers’ ability to board them as planned.

Ongoing Impact of January’s Severe Winter Weather

The current disruption cannot be viewed in isolation from the wider operational turmoil that has gripped Schiphol and much of northern Europe since the start of 2026. At the beginning of January, a series of winter storms brought heavy snow and powerful winds to the Netherlands and surrounding countries, significantly reducing runway capacity and forcing air traffic control to limit the volume of takeoffs and landings. On some days, Schiphol and its resident carriers were forced to cancel several hundred flights, disrupting travel plans for tens of thousands of passengers.

KLM has publicly acknowledged that it was forced to cancel hundreds of flights from January 2 onward due to these weather conditions and a related shortage of de icing fluid that was affecting airports across Europe. The airline reported that its stocks of de icing liquid at Schiphol had come under severe pressure as crews worked around the clock to prepare aircraft in sub zero conditions, prompting it to proactively cut flights in order to preserve safety and operational continuity. These decisions, while necessary from a safety perspective, have had lingering effects throughout the month as airlines work to restore normal scheduling patterns.

Compounding the weather challenges, Schiphol also experienced a brief power outage in one of its terminals on January 8, temporarily interrupting check in and passenger processing. Although that technical issue was quickly resolved and did not itself trigger large additional cancellations, it highlighted how fragile the wider operation had become after days of extreme weather and mass disruptions. The airport has emphasized that safety on the ground and in the air remains paramount, even if that means flying a reduced schedule or implementing last minute changes.

How Airlines Are Managing the Disruption

Airlines operating at Schiphol have moved to a more proactive approach in managing disruptions after the scale of early January’s problems. KLM and its partners have increasingly preemptively canceled a limited number of flights on days with challenging weather forecasts in an attempt to stabilize the remainder of the schedule. Earlier this month, for example, KLM announced the proactive cancellation of dozens of evening flights on specific days when forecasters predicted deteriorating conditions, signaling a preference for early, controlled cuts over late stage, reactive cancellations at the gate.

Major carriers including KLM, Air France and United have continued to rely heavily on automated rebooking tools, text and email alerts, and self service options on their websites and mobile apps to keep affected passengers informed. Travelers whose flights are canceled or significantly delayed are typically offered alternative routings, departure times or travel dates, subject to seat availability, and in some cases given the option of a refund. However, during periods of large scale disruption, it has not always been possible to provide same day alternatives, especially on heavily booked transatlantic routes.

Regional operators such as German Airways and HOP!, which fly smaller aircraft on behalf of larger network airlines, play a critical role in feeding passengers into major hubs like Schiphol. When disruptions occur, these airlines must coordinate closely with their partners to decide which routes to prioritize and how to reposition aircraft and crew. The current pattern of limited cancellations and widespread delays suggests that airlines are attempting to maintain network connectivity while accepting slower operations and longer turnaround times as winter conditions persist.

Passenger Experience on the Ground in Amsterdam

For passengers at Schiphol on Wednesday, the most visible impact of the current disruption has been longer than usual queues at check in counters, security checkpoints and service desks, especially in the early morning peak. Travelers arriving at the airport to discover that their flights are delayed or canceled have reported crowding around airline information desks and gate podiums as they seek clarity on rebooking options, meal vouchers and potential compensation.

Airport staff and airline ground crews have been working with contingency plans developed after previous periods of turmoil at Schiphol, including the severe staffing shortages seen in 2022. Additional staff have been deployed in the terminal to direct passengers to self service kiosks where possible, while digital display boards and announcements are frequently updated to reflect real time changes. Despite these efforts, some travelers have faced extended waits for assistance, particularly when their journeys involve complex itineraries or interline connections between multiple carriers.

Landside, transport links between Schiphol and nearby cities have remained largely operational, although snow and ice on surrounding road and rail networks earlier in the month created an additional layer of difficulty for travelers attempting to reach or leave the airport. Dutch authorities have repeatedly urged passengers to check both flight status and ground transport conditions before setting out. For those who missed connections and required overnight accommodation, hotel capacity near Schiphol has at times been tight, with airlines and passengers competing for available rooms.

What This Means for European and Transatlantic Travel

While Wednesday’s tally of 25 cancellations and more than 100 delays at Schiphol is modest compared with the thousands of January flights disrupted across Europe, it underscores how fragile the aviation system can remain after a major weather event. Amsterdam is a central node in European and transatlantic networks, and its ability to operate near normal schedules has implications far beyond the Netherlands. Disruptions at Schiphol tend to ripple quickly to connected airports such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Montreal as aircraft and crews arrive late or out of sequence.

For business travelers, the continuing irregular operations have added a layer of uncertainty to already complex winter schedules. Travelers with tight turnarounds or same day return plans are particularly vulnerable when a short delay on an early morning departure leads to a missed meeting or a forced overnight stay. Leisure travelers, in turn, face the risk of curtailed vacations or missed events if outbound flights are canceled or inbound journeys are extended by missed connections.

Industry analysts note that climate related volatility and increasingly intense winter storms are likely to pose recurring challenges for European aviation in the years ahead. Airlines and airports are investing in more robust winter operations, improved forecasting tools and more flexible scheduling practices, but passengers may need to adjust expectations during peak winter months. The events at Schiphol this January illustrate both the progress made in managing disruptions and the limits of contingency planning when weather, infrastructure and network complexity collide.

Advice for Travelers Connecting Through Schiphol

Passenger advocacy organizations and travel experts suggest several practical steps for travelers booked to fly via Amsterdam in the coming days while the network continues to normalize. First, passengers are urged to monitor their flight status closely using airline apps or airport information pages, beginning at least 24 hours before departure and continuing up to the time they leave for the airport. Schedule changes can occur at short notice during periods of disruption, and travelers who spot a cancellation early may have more options to rebook.

Second, those traveling on itineraries that involve connections at Schiphol may benefit from allowing extra transfer time where possible. While minimum connection times are designed to be achievable in normal conditions, winter operations, long taxi times and occasional de icing procedures can lengthen gate to gate transit. Booking slightly longer layovers, particularly on journeys that connect short haul European flights with long haul transatlantic services, can reduce the risk of misconnecting.

Third, passengers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with their rights under European air passenger regulations, which specify conditions under which travelers may be entitled to meals, hotel accommodation, rebooking at no additional cost or financial compensation. The precise entitlements depend on the length of the delay, the cause of the disruption and the distance of the flight. Although severe weather can exempt airlines from some compensation obligations, carriers often still provide vouchers and assistance as a matter of customer service when disruption is widespread.

FAQ

Q1: Why are there still cancellations and delays at Amsterdam Schiphol after the major storms earlier in January?
Residual disruption from early January’s severe winter weather, combined with limited runway capacity on some days and ongoing schedule realignment by airlines, means the operation has not fully returned to a steady state. Aircraft and crews are still being repositioned, and airlines are proactively trimming some flights to keep the overall schedule more stable.

Q2: Which airlines are most affected by the latest disruptions at Schiphol?
KLM, as the dominant carrier at Amsterdam, has been most affected, with regional partners such as German Airways and HOP! also impacted. Additional delays have been reported on flights operated by Air France, United Airlines and other carriers that rely on Schiphol for connections.

Q3: What destinations are being impacted by today’s cancellations and delays?
The disruptions are affecting a mix of European and long haul routes, including services to and from Bordeaux, Hamburg, Frankfurt, London and Montreal. Because Amsterdam is a major hub, issues on these routes can also affect passengers connecting onward to other regions.

Q4: Are the latest disruptions due to a new storm or other weather event?
There has been no single headline weather event on January 28 comparable to the early month storms. Instead, the current issues appear tied to the continuing knock on effects of previous severe weather, cautious capacity management and localized operational constraints such as de icing requirements and runway usage limits.

Q5: How are airlines helping stranded or delayed passengers at Schiphol?
Airlines are using automated rebooking systems, mobile app notifications, text messages and staffed service desks to assist affected travelers. Depending on ticket conditions and the cause and length of disruption, passengers may be offered alternative flights, meal vouchers, hotel accommodation or refunds.

Q6: What can travelers do to minimize the risk of missed connections in Amsterdam?
Travelers can book longer connection times where possible, avoid scheduling very tight same day meetings after arrival, and check flight status frequently in the 24 hours before departure. Carrying essential items in hand luggage and having a contingency plan for overnight stays can also reduce stress if connections are missed.

Q7: Are passengers entitled to compensation for delays and cancellations in these circumstances?
Under European passenger rights rules, compensation depends on factors such as the cause of disruption, flight distance and length of delay. If the disruption is primarily due to extraordinary circumstances such as extreme weather, cash compensation may not apply, although airlines are still obliged to provide care and assistance in many cases.

Q8: How long are the current delays at Schiphol expected to last?
Delay lengths on January 28 have ranged from short holds of around 30 minutes to extended waits of several hours. While conditions can change during the day, airlines and the airport expect operations to gradually stabilize if no new severe weather systems move into the region.

Q9: Is it safer to avoid connecting through Amsterdam for the time being?
Safety is not in question, but travelers with flexible plans who are risk averse may choose routings that avoid hubs currently recovering from disruption. However, Schiphol remains one of Europe’s most important and generally reliable hubs, and most flights are still operating, albeit with elevated delay risk during peak times.

Q10: What should travelers do if their flight to or from Schiphol is canceled at short notice?
Passengers should first check their airline’s app or website for automatic rebooking options, then contact the carrier digitally or at airport service points if necessary. Keeping boarding passes, receipts and proof of expenses can be important if seeking reimbursement later, and staying informed about rights under European regulations helps when negotiating alternatives with airlines.