Snow and ice have thrown Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport into turmoil, with hundreds of flights cancelled, trains halted and roads gridlocked as a powerful winter storm brings days of disruption across the Netherlands and wider northwest Europe.

Airlines, including Dutch flag carrier KLM, have scrapped large parts of their schedules since Friday, stranding tens of thousands of passengers and turning one of Europe’s busiest hubs into the continent’s most disrupted airport.

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Schiphol Hit by Days of Mass Cancellations

Amsterdam Schiphol has been at the heart of the weather emergency since the start of 2026, as successive bands of snow and freezing rain have repeatedly shut runways and forced ground handlers to suspend operations.

Airport data and airline statements indicate that since Friday, January 2, several thousand flights in and out of the Dutch capital have been either cancelled outright or severely delayed, with knock-on effects rippling through European and intercontinental networks.

By Monday, January 5, airport authorities had ordered a near-total halt to operations during the late morning and early afternoon, with Dutch air traffic control confirming that no runways were available and that all flights were grounded for several hours.

Incoming services were diverted to airports in Germany and elsewhere, while passengers already at Schiphol watched departure boards fill with red as carriers scaled back schedules in anticipation of further snow showers and icy conditions.

Figures from multiple aviation trackers and national media reports suggest that on Monday alone between 450 and 560 flights at Schiphol were cancelled, on top of hundreds more over the preceding weekend.

The cancellations affected both departures and arrivals, turning what is usually a tightly choreographed flow of aircraft movements into an extended shutdown punctuated only by a handful of departures during weather lulls.

KLM Slashes Schedule as Storm Anna Grips the Netherlands

KLM has borne the brunt of the chaos at its main hub, progressively cutting its schedule as the scale of the winter disruption became clear.

From Saturday through Tuesday, the airline cancelled hundreds of flights per day, including regional European routes and some long-haul connections, in a bid to keep a slimmed-down operation running safely within the constraints of reduced runway availability and mandatory de-icing.

Industry data compiled on January 5 and 6 shows KLM cancelling around 300 flights on both Monday and Tuesday, after scrapping close to 200 services on Saturday and nearly 300 on Sunday.

The carrier also pre-emptively pulled large portions of its Tuesday schedule, citing a continued risk of heavy snow showers and freezing temperatures that make aircraft preparation and ground handling more time-consuming and complex.

The airline has argued that proactive cancellations, rather than last-minute scrambles, are the most efficient way to manage severe weather events at a congested hub.

By thinning out the flight program in advance, KLM and partner airlines have sought to avoid aircraft and crew becoming stranded out of position and to reduce the number of passengers left waiting in terminals with little prospect of same-day rebooking.

Weather Warnings and Operational Limits at Schiphol

The Dutch meteorological service has kept large parts of the country under prolonged weather alerts, shifting between code yellow and the more severe code orange as snowfall intensifies.

The warnings highlight the risk of slick roads, snowdrifts, and freezing slush, and stress the potential for major disruption to public transport, including rail and air travel.

In practical terms for Schiphol, these conditions have sharply reduced the usable capacity of runways and taxiways.

Airport managers have detailed how the combination of accumulating snow, icy surfaces and low visibility forces them to close runways for clearing and to slow operations on those that remain open.

De-icing queues have grown long as temperatures hover around or below freezing, requiring every departing aircraft to undergo anti-icing treatments that add significant time to the turnaround process.

The upshot is that the theoretical number of movements per hour must be cut drastically for safety, triggering wide-ranging schedule reductions.

Official updates from Schiphol on Monday noted that, for much of the day, incoming flights were entirely barred from landing and that only a limited number of departures could be handled.

Airlines were explicitly told to cut about half of their flights for parts of the afternoon and early evening.

Even when the most intense snow bands eased, Eurocontrol, Europe’s air traffic coordinator, warned of continuing arrival delays due to de-icing backlogs and an outbound bottleneck that left stands and gates occupied longer than usual.

Passengers Face Long Queues, Overnight Stays and Uncertain Rebooking

For travelers, the disruption has translated into scenes of frustration at Schiphol’s terminals, where queues have built up at airline desks, security checkpoints and rebooking counters.

Many passengers who arrived early on Monday and Tuesday in the hope of catching flights out of the Netherlands instead found themselves sleeping on camp beds, benches and terminal floors, or scrambling to secure scarce hotel rooms around the airport.

Social media posts from stranded travelers describe long lines to reach customer service agents and limited information on when alternative flights might be available.

Some passengers reported being repeatedly rebooked only to have subsequent flights cancelled as carriers cut back schedules yet again.

Others spoke of spending several hours on hold to call centers, particularly for complex itineraries involving connections to North America, Asia and Africa.

Airlines have been offering rebooking on later dates and, where possible, rerouting through other European hubs that have been less affected by the storm, such as Frankfurt, Madrid or Rome.

However, capacity constraints mean that many long-haul passengers may be delayed by 24 hours or more.

Under European air passenger rights regulations, carriers are obliged to provide care in the form of meals and lodging during extended delays, but compensation payments for weather-related cancellations are generally not required, which has added to passengers’ confusion over what support they can expect.

Rail and Road Chaos Compounds the Airport Shutdown

The problems in the air have been mirrored on the ground. Dutch rail operator NS halted virtually all train traffic in the greater Amsterdam area and through Schiphol for hours at a time as frozen switches and snow-covered tracks made operations unsafe.

Services to and from other key cities, including Utrecht, Zwolle and Leeuwarden, were also heavily reduced or cancelled, leaving travelers with few alternatives to reach or leave the airport.

Authorities have warned that commuters should avoid nonessential travel and, where possible, head home early to avoid getting stuck as fresh snow showers develop during the late afternoon and evening peaks.

Road agency Rijkswaterstaat has deployed thousands of tonnes of salt, yet still reported that its own vehicles struggled to move through extensive traffic jams on major motorways around Amsterdam and The Hague.

This multimodal breakdown has made it particularly difficult for stranded airline passengers to secure alternative routes by train or bus, or even to return home.

Even those who managed to rebook flights from other airports, such as Düsseldorf or Brussels, sometimes found that reaching those departure points was close to impossible within the necessary time frame.

Europe-wide Winter Storm Strains Aviation Networks

The Netherlands is not alone in coping with the storm’s fallout. Heavy snow and ice have also hit large parts of the United Kingdom and northern France, with meteorological services in those countries issuing their own severe weather warnings for snow and ice.

In response, French aviation authorities have instructed airlines to cancel portions of their schedules at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports, while British airports and road authorities warn of extended delays and hazardous driving conditions.

At a continental level, the storm commonly referred to as Anna has generated a complex pattern of disruption that is challenging for airline schedulers.

When Schiphol, one of Europe’s key connecting hubs, operates at sharply reduced capacity for several consecutive days, the effects are felt on routes as far away as Scandinavia, North America and the Middle East.

Aircraft and crew rotations are thrown off, with planes and pilots often ending up in the wrong place, compounding the immediate weather-related constraints.

Industry analysts note that while European airports have extensive winter operations plans, the combination of heavy snow, strong crosswinds and prolonged sub-zero temperatures can still overwhelm even well-practiced procedures.

In such scenarios, they argue, the priority inevitably shifts from maintaining the schedule to protecting safety, reducing runway incidents and preserving core connectivity for essential traffic such as repatriation and cargo flights.

How Long Will the Disruption Last?

Forecasts from Dutch and European meteorological agencies suggest that wintry conditions will persist at least through midweek, even if the heaviest snowfall passes.

With temperatures expected to remain around freezing and intermittent snow showers likely, airport operators are warning that flight schedules will continue to be reduced and that delays could remain common even after the most acute phase of the storm has passed.

Schiphol has already cautioned that only a limited number of flights can operate until further notice and urged passengers whose flights are cancelled not to travel to the airport at all.

KLM and other carriers have implemented flexible rebooking policies that allow customers traveling in the first half of the week to change their tickets to later dates without additional fees, where seat availability permits.

Recovery from such a large-scale disruption typically takes several days, as airlines work to reposition aircraft and crew, clear backlogs of stranded passengers and rebuild normal rotations.

Travel experts are advising passengers with nonessential trips in the coming days to consider postponing or rerouting journeys, and to monitor both airline and airport updates closely before setting out.

FAQ

Q1. How many flights have been cancelled at Amsterdam Schiphol due to the snow and ice?
Exact numbers are changing by the hour, but over the long weekend and into Monday and Tuesday, cancellations have run into the thousands, with some days seeing between 450 and more than 500 flights scrapped as runways closed and capacity was sharply reduced.

Q2. Which airlines are most affected by the disruption at Schiphol?
KLM, as the main hub carrier at Amsterdam Schiphol, has been the most heavily impacted, cancelling hundreds of flights per day at the peak of the storm. Other European airlines, including low-cost and regional carriers, have also cancelled or diverted services, especially on routes that rely on Schiphol as a transfer point.

Q3. Is Amsterdam Schiphol currently open or completely closed?
Schiphol has not been permanently closed, but at times during the worst of the weather all flights were temporarily grounded and no landings were allowed. Outside those ground stops, the airport has been operating at very limited capacity, with only a fraction of usual flights able to depart or arrive.

Q4. What rights do passengers have if their flight is cancelled because of snow and ice?
Under European air passenger regulations, airlines must offer a choice between a refund and rebooking at the earliest opportunity or at a later, more convenient date when a flight is cancelled. They are also required to provide care, such as meals and accommodation, during long delays. However, because severe weather is considered an extraordinary circumstance, additional cash compensation is usually not payable.

Q5. Should passengers still go to the airport if their flight status is unclear?
Both Schiphol and airlines are urging travelers not to go to the airport unless their flight is explicitly confirmed as operating. If a flight shows as cancelled, passengers are advised to stay home or at their current accommodation and to contact their airline or travel agent for rebooking options rather than joining already crowded terminals.

Q6. Are trains and other public transport options running to and from Schiphol?
Train services in the Amsterdam region, including those serving Schiphol Airport, have been severely disrupted, with periods when all trains were suspended due to frozen points and heavy snow. Some services are operating intermittently, but travelers should expect substantial delays and check live updates from the rail operator before relying on trains to reach the airport.

Q7. How far in advance are airlines cancelling flights at the moment?
Many airlines, including KLM, are cancelling flights one or two days in advance when forecasts suggest conditions will remain difficult. This proactive approach is intended to give passengers more notice and to prevent last-minute scrambles at the airport, although additional same-day cancellations can still occur if the weather deteriorates unexpectedly.

Q8. Is the disruption limited to Amsterdam, or are other European airports affected?
The storm system has affected much of northwest Europe, so airports in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and parts of Germany have also experienced snow-related delays and cancellations. However, Schiphol has been among the worst hit, partly because it is such a busy hub and because the storm has lingered over the Netherlands for several days.

Q9. What can travelers do to minimize disruption to upcoming trips through Schiphol?
Travelers are advised to monitor their flight status closely via airline apps or websites, sign up for notifications, and maintain flexible plans where possible. Those with nonessential travel over the next few days may wish to rebook voluntarily to later dates, while others should build extra time into connections and be prepared for possible overnight stays if schedules unravel.

Q10. When is Schiphol expected to return to normal operations?
Normal operations are unlikely to resume immediately once the snow stops. It typically takes several days for airlines and the airport to clear backlogs, reposition aircraft and crews, and restore regular timetables. If forecasts hold and conditions slowly improve after midweek, travelers can expect a gradual easing of disruption rather than an instant return to pre-storm levels of service.