Severe winter storms sweeping across Western Europe in early January 2026 have brought air travel at two of the continent’s busiest hubs, Paris and Amsterdam, close to a standstill, with cascading disruption for Air France, KLM, easyJet and other major carriers across France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and beyond.

Travelers heading to or transiting through Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Schiphol face large-scale cancellations, rolling delays, and crowded terminals as airlines struggle to cope with snow, high winds and a shortage of de-icing capacity.

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Storms Anna and Goretti Trigger Record Disruptions at Key European Hubs

The current wave of travel chaos is the result of back-to-back winter systems, including Storm Anna at the start of the year and the more recent Storm Goretti, which together have battered much of northwestern Europe with heavy snowfall, freezing rain and gale-force winds. Meteorologists say the 2025–26 European windstorm season has delivered some of the most disruptive conditions in recent years, particularly for low-lying countries such as the Netherlands and coastal regions of northern France.

At Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, one of Europe’s principal transfer hubs, operations were first severely curtailed around January 2 as Storm Anna blanketed runways and forced ground handlers to suspend de-icing and baggage operations. Dutch and European aviation data indicate that more than 300 flights were cancelled in a single day at the height of that system, with hundreds more delayed. The knock-on effects quickly rippled through the schedules of KLM and partner airlines operating to France, the UK, Germany and the Nordics.

Just as Schiphol and Paris area airports were working to recover, Storm Goretti formed on January 6 and deepened over the North Sea and English Channel. The storm prompted weather alerts across the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands and ushered in another round of cancellations and diversions. In the Netherlands, authorities warned of near-blizzard conditions and black ice, while in France forecasters flagged a combination of strong gusts and intense snowfall that would make operations at Paris’s airports particularly challenging between January 6 and January 10.

Air France and KLM Cut Hundreds of Flights as Schiphol and Paris Struggle

Air France and KLM, the Franco-Dutch airline group that relies heavily on its Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol hubs, have shouldered some of the heaviest disruption. According to airline statements and airport data, KLM alone has cancelled hundreds of flights since the start of January, including around 300 flights on January 5 and another 400 on January 6 as runway capacity at Schiphol was sharply reduced. A significant proportion of those cancellations affected short and medium haul routes linking Amsterdam with Paris, London, German cities and regional airports in France and Scandinavia.

Air France has also been forced to cut capacity at Charles de Gaulle and Orly. French authorities and airline updates from January 7 and 8 show around 100 cancellations at Charles de Gaulle in a single morning and several dozen more at Orly as snow accumulated faster than it could be cleared. Airlines were instructed to reduce their flight programs at Paris airports by up to 15 percent on some days, affecting both domestic and European services and forcing Air France to consolidate frequencies and prioritize long haul operations where possible.

The combined impact across the Air France KLM network has been extensive. Travel-alert pages for the group warn that operations at both hubs are constrained by a mix of weather-related restrictions and ground-handling bottlenecks, with passengers advised not to come to the airport if their flight shows as cancelled. In some cases, rebooking options have pushed travelers several days into the future as limited spare capacity is snapped up by disrupted passengers from earlier in the month.

easyJet and Other Carriers Caught in the Crossfire Across Europe

While the headline disruption has centered on Air France and KLM, low-cost carriers such as easyJet have also been significantly affected. With a large presence at Amsterdam Schiphol, as well as at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly, easyJet has announced dozens of cancellations and delays on routes connecting the UK and continental Europe whenever winter weather has intensified. On peak days, data compiled by European travel outlets suggest easyJet cancellations in the low double digits but with a long tail of delays of an hour or more on many remaining flights.

Other European airlines have reported similar challenges. Lufthansa, British Airways, Transavia, Delta Air Lines and Gulf carriers have all recorded cancellations or delays in recent days, particularly on flights touching Amsterdam or Paris. One industry overview from January 9 indicated that Amsterdam Schiphol alone accounted for more than 300 cancellations and over 100 delays in a single day, with KLM, Air France and easyJet listed among the most affected operators.

Because Paris and Amsterdam act as major connecting platforms for passengers traveling between North America, Europe, Africa and Asia, the cancellations have had knock-on effects far beyond France and the Netherlands. Travelers departing North American cities such as New York, Toronto or Atlanta for final destinations in southern Europe or Africa have found themselves caught in bottlenecks at intermediate hubs, with missed connections and rebookings stretching into several days.

Schiphol’s De-icing Squeeze and Paris Ground Operations Under Strain

Behind the scenes, the storms have exposed structural vulnerabilities in winter operations at major European airports. At Amsterdam Schiphol, KLM reported a pressing shortage of de-icing fluid during the worst of the January 6 storm, as extreme conditions increased consumption and supply-chain delays made rapid replenishment difficult. The carrier disclosed that its teams had been using tens of thousands of liters of de-icing fluid per day since January 2, operating around the clock to keep aircraft safe for departure.

This de-icing squeeze meant that even when runways were technically usable, the pace at which aircraft could be prepared for takeoff slowed dramatically. Aircraft spent longer in queues on taxiways awaiting treatment, and several flights that had already pushed back were forced to return to gates and be cancelled after extended ground holds. Aviation incident reports from January 5 describe at least one KLM departure to London that spent more than two hours taxiing before crew made the decision to abandon the flight due to deteriorating conditions.

Paris has faced a different mix of challenges. At Charles de Gaulle and Orly, the sheer volume of accumulated snow and ice on airfield surfaces, aprons and access roads has required constant deployment of snowplows and de-icing vehicles. While French airports have winter plans in place, the combination of strong winds, freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall has meant that cleared surfaces can quickly become contaminated again. Ground staff must also periodically suspend ramp work when wind gusts and visibility fall below safety thresholds, which further slows the processing of arriving and departing flights.

Passengers Stranded, Sleepless Nights and Packed Terminals

The operational difficulties at Schiphol and Paris have translated into long and often uncomfortable waits for passengers. At Amsterdam, airport officials acknowledged that more than a thousand travelers were forced to spend nights in the terminal during the worst of the disruptions, with camp beds and basic amenities set up in concourses for those unable to find hotel rooms. Baggage delays have been common, with some passengers reporting that their luggage arrived days after they finally made it to their destination.

In Paris, scenes of crowded departure halls and snaking check-in and rebooking lines have been a familiar sight since the first days of January. Staff shortages, already an issue for many European airports following busy holiday seasons, have been compounded by the strain of rebooking and assisting large numbers of disrupted travelers. Social media posts and traveler accounts highlight limited information at times and frustration over changing departure times, aircraft swaps and last-minute cancellations.

Families traveling with children and older passengers have been among the hardest hit. With local rail networks in the Netherlands and northern France also plagued by weather-related outages and delays, alternative routes by train or bus have been difficult to secure. Many travelers have been advised by both airlines and national rail operators to postpone non-essential journeys until the weather pattern stabilizes and backlogs can be cleared.

Ripple Effects on Rail, Road and Regional Airports

The winter storms have not only crippled air travel but also undermined the viability of ground and rail alternatives. Dutch rail operator NS has reported widespread signal and switch failures due to frozen infrastructure, leading to significantly reduced services in and around Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht on several days in early January. Passengers seeking to use high-speed rail links, such as the Amsterdam to Paris route, have had to contend with cancellations, slower speeds and overbooked trains.

In France, similar issues have appeared on regional lines in the north and northwest of the country, with some routes temporarily suspended because of snow and fallen branches or overhead line problems. Road networks in both countries have frequently been described by authorities as hazardous, with repeated warnings about black ice, drifting snow and limited visibility. Motorists have been urged to avoid long journeys unless strictly necessary, particularly during night-time hours.

Regional airports across France and the Benelux region have also seen partial closures or reduced operations. Reports from French transport officials indicate that several smaller airports in northern and western France were closed at times during the storms, funnelling more traffic and stranded passengers toward Charles de Gaulle and Orly. In the Netherlands and Belgium, smaller fields have likewise prioritized safety, further constraining options for diversions and last-minute rerouting of flights away from the busiest hubs.

What Affected Travelers Should Do Now

With forecasts suggesting that intermittent snow and sub-zero temperatures could continue in parts of northern Europe through mid-January, airlines and travel authorities are urging passengers to stay flexible and informed. Air France, KLM and easyJet have all activated weather-related rebooking and waiver policies, allowing eligible travelers to change dates or request refunds when flights are cancelled or significantly delayed. Many carriers are advising passengers to use websites and mobile apps as the first point of contact, as call centers and airport desks remain under heavy pressure.

For travelers due to fly through Paris Charles de Gaulle, Orly or Amsterdam Schiphol in the coming days, the strongest guidance is to verify flight status repeatedly in the 24 hours before departure and to avoid heading to the airport if a cancellation has already been posted. Those with tight connections, particularly on separate tickets, are being advised to build in additional buffer time or to consider rerouting through less affected hubs in southern Europe where possible. Travel insurance policies that cover weather-related disruption may help offset extra accommodation and transport costs, though terms vary.

Officials in both France and the Netherlands emphasize that safety remains the top priority. While the sight of grounded aircraft and stranded passengers is frustrating during a peak travel period, authorities argue that the combination of heavy snow, strong winds and limited de-icing resources leaves little room for compromise. As the 2025–26 winter season progresses, regulators and airport operators are expected to review how the January storms were handled, with particular attention likely to focus on resilience planning, de-icing supply chains and passenger care standards during prolonged disruptions.