Passengers traveling through Poland on Sunday, 15 February 2026 faced a fresh wave of disruption as winter weather and operational knock-on effects led to at least 10 flight cancellations and 235 delays at Kraków John Paul II International Airport and Warsaw Chopin Airport. Services operated by KLM, its regional partner HOP!, national carrier LOT Polish Airlines and several low-cost and regional airlines were all affected, leaving travelers facing missed connections, lengthy queues and unexpected overnight stays at hotels across the country.

Winter Weather Returns to Polish Skies

The latest day of turmoil comes barely a week after a sharp Arctic front on 7 February slowed operations at Poland’s five busiest airports and triggered hundreds of delays. That earlier system forced ground handlers in Warsaw and Kraków to lengthen de-icing queues and reduce runway capacity, a reminder of how vulnerable tightly timed winter schedules are to even modest deteriorations in temperature and visibility.

On 15 February, forecasters again reported freezing temperatures and passing snow showers across central Europe, with impacts not limited to Poland. Amsterdam Schiphol, a key hub for passengers flying to Kraków and Warsaw with KLM and partners, reduced its takeoff and landing capacity because of expected snowfall. That decision prompted targeted cancellations and delays on short and medium haul flights, complications that then rippled into the Polish network as aircraft and crews arrived late or failed to arrive at all.

At Warsaw Chopin, where winter already triggered an extended bout of severe cold delays in January, airport operations teams once again slowed movements to prioritize safety on taxiways and de-icing stands. Even when runways remained open, each departure required more time on the ground, eroding buffer periods meant to absorb minor disruptions and pushing later rotations behind schedule.

Ten Cancellations and 235 Delays Across Kraków and Warsaw

Preliminary operational tallies compiled on Sunday pointed to at least 10 outright cancellations and roughly 235 delayed departures and arrivals affecting services at Kraków and Warsaw combined. While those figures remain subject to revision as airlines update their schedules, they illustrate the scale of the problem for passengers attempting to move in and out of southern and central Poland at the tail end of the winter holiday period.

Warsaw Chopin, the country’s primary international gateway, carried the heaviest burden. LOT Polish Airlines, which operates an extensive network of European and long haul services from the capital, reported a broad spread of delays on intra-European rotations, including shuttle flights feeding long haul departures. Some domestic services between Kraków and Warsaw arrived more than 20 minutes behind schedule, while later waves of departures pushed further into the evening as aircraft struggled to regain their planned turn times.

Kraków John Paul II International Airport, still recovering from last month’s heavy snowfalls that once forced it to halt operations and reroute traffic to Warsaw, saw a cluster of weather and knock-on related delays on popular city break and leisure routes. Departures to western European hubs, including services operated with KLM codes via Amsterdam and LOT connections to Warsaw and beyond, became a focal point of complaints as passengers reported waits at crowded gates and boarding processes starting long after original departure times.

KLM, HOP! and LOT Passengers Caught in a Network Effect

The disruption underscored how closely linked Polish airports are to wider European networks, particularly via hubs like Amsterdam and Paris. KLM, which relies on Schiphol to distribute passengers traveling between Poland and destinations across the Atlantic, in Africa and in Asia, warned that winter capacity restrictions in the Netherlands would affect short and medium haul rotations. Even where individual Kraków or Warsaw flights were not canceled, late inbound aircraft from Amsterdam set off a domino effect of delays through the afternoon and evening.

Regional partner HOP!, which operates feeder services primarily into larger hubs, also faced schedule disruptions when connecting flights missed their intended departure windows. HOP! services are often tightly synchronized with long haul departures, and any delay of more than an hour can render individual connections unworkable. That forced last minute rebookings and left some Poland bound travelers stranded at intermediate airports waiting for new routings.

At the national level, LOT Polish Airlines battled the twin challenges of domestic weather impacts and overseas network instability. The carrier’s shuttle services between Kraków and Warsaw, critical for funneling southern Polish passengers into long haul departures, registered moderate delays throughout the day. While many flights ultimately arrived, even a 20 to 30 minute late arrival could mean missing a transatlantic connection, resulting in involuntary overnight stays or costly same day rebookings onto alliance partners.

Low Cost Carriers and Regional Airlines Add to the Tally

Although flag carriers and their alliances attracted much of the attention, low cost and regional airlines operating from Kraków and Warsaw were far from immune. Wizz Air and Ryanair, which both maintain robust point to point networks across Poland, had already suffered significant disruption during the earlier February cold snap. On 15 February, some of their rotations again slipped behind schedule as ground crews struggled to turn around aircraft in challenging conditions and as inbound flights from elsewhere in Europe arrived late.

Regional operators linking Poland to Scandinavian hubs and secondary Western European airports also contributed to the day’s delay statistics. When airports further west reduced runway throughput because of snow and low visibility, flights bound for Poland departed late or were rescheduled altogether. That created clusters of late evening arrivals into Kraków and Warsaw, sometimes well past midnight, complicating ground transport plans for passengers expecting to connect to rail or bus services that had already stopped running.

Industry analysts note that low cost carriers are particularly exposed during winter weather events. Their business model relies on maximizing aircraft utilization with tight turnaround times and minimal slack in daily rotations. When one early morning flight is delayed, the resulting knock-on effect can cascade throughout the day, turning a minor weather issue into a full schedule redesign by nightfall.

Passengers Confront Long Queues, Missed Connections and Hotel Hunts

For travelers, the statistics translated into very tangible frustrations. Kraków and Warsaw terminals filled with passengers seeking information on rebooking options, with service desks for KLM, LOT and their partners attracting long lines during peak afternoon and evening waves. Airline apps and self service kiosks processed many changes automatically, but travelers with complex itineraries, multi ticket journeys or special assistance needs often required one on one support.

Missed connections emerged as a primary headache. A short delay on a domestic or regional leg could invalidate carefully timed links onto long haul flights bound for North America or Asia. With winter schedules already tightly packed and many flights near capacity, airlines frequently struggled to accommodate disrupted passengers on same day alternatives. That pushed some travelers into unplanned overnight stays in airport hotels or city center properties, with ground staff distributing meal and accommodation vouchers late into the evening.

For others, particularly those on short weekend city breaks or business day trips, even a delay of a few hours significantly altered plans. Tourists arriving into Kraków well after dark were forced to reshuffle sightseeing and transfers, while corporate travelers bound for meetings in Warsaw or other Central European capitals weighed whether to switch to rail or postpone engagements entirely.

What Rights Passengers Have Under EU 261

As has been the case in previous winter disruption events, questions quickly turned to what compensation and support travelers could expect. Under the European Union’s Regulation 261, passengers whose flights are canceled or significantly delayed may be entitled to financial compensation, but only when the cause of disruption is within the airline’s control. Extreme weather and related air traffic control restrictions are typically classified as extraordinary circumstances, limiting the scope for direct payouts.

That does not mean passengers are without protections. Even when weather is to blame, airlines must still provide so called duty of care. This includes meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to waiting times, hotel accommodation when an overnight stay becomes necessary and transport between the airport and place of lodging. Carriers must also offer either a full refund or rerouting at the earliest opportunity if a flight is canceled altogether or delayed beyond a legally defined threshold.

Specialized claims firms and consumer advocates emphasized the importance of documentation. Travelers are urged to keep boarding passes, booking confirmations, written notices of delay or cancellation and all receipts for food, accommodation and alternative transport. These records can prove vital if disputes over eligibility for reimbursement or compensation arise in the weeks following a disruption.

Airlines and Airports Adjust Operations to Limit Further Fallout

Behind the scenes, operations control rooms at both airlines and airports spent Sunday recalibrating schedules to limit the impact on the coming days. Planners at LOT, KLM and other affected carriers faced difficult trade offs, sometimes choosing to proactively cancel a small number of flights on lightly traveled routes in order to free up aircraft and crews for more critical connections. The aim is to prevent a single day of poor weather from cascading into a week of rolling delays.

Airport authorities in Kraków and Warsaw continued to coordinate closely with meteorological services and air traffic managers, adjusting runway use, de icing patterns and stand allocations as conditions evolved. While neither airport reported full runway closures on 15 February, ground movements were consistently slower than on a typical winter day, as safety protocols mandated reduced taxi speeds and additional checks before takeoff.

Industry observers expect some residual disruption on Monday as aircraft and crew rosters are brought back into balance. After the February 7 cold front, for example, travel risk consultants warned that crew duty time limitations and aircraft out of position problems can take up to 48 hours to fully resolve, even once the weather improves. A similar pattern may play out following Sunday’s events, particularly on trans European routes linking Poland to the Nordic region, the United Kingdom and the Benelux countries.

Travel Advice for Upcoming Passengers Heading to or From Poland

With winter conditions forecast to persist across Central and Northern Europe for at least several more days, passengers scheduled to travel through Kraków or Warsaw this week are being urged to build extra flexibility into their plans. Airlines and travel advisors recommend arriving at the airport earlier than usual, especially for morning departures when de icing queues can be longest and snow clearing operations most intense.

Checking flight status repeatedly in the 24 hours before departure has become essential. KLM, LOT and other major carriers regularly push notifications through their mobile apps and by text message when schedules change, but these alerts can sometimes lag behind real time operational decisions. Travelers booked on tight connections may wish to explore voluntarily rebooking onto earlier feeder flights or accepting longer layovers to reduce the risk of missed long haul departures.

Travel planners also encourage considering rail alternatives for certain domestic and regional journeys, particularly between Kraków and Warsaw or to neighboring capitals that are well served by intercity trains. While rail networks are not immune to winter weather, they can offer more predictable timings when airport operations are heavily constrained by de icing and runway capacity limits.

For now, passengers in Poland are once again reminded that winter travel in Europe carries an elevated risk of disruption. The combination of freezing temperatures, snow showers and congestion at major hubs has already produced one of the more challenging February travel periods in recent years. Sunday’s 10 cancellations and 235 delays at Kraków and Warsaw serve as the latest illustration of how quickly conditions can change, and how vital preparation and flexibility have become for anyone heading to or from the country’s busiest airports.