Schiphol Airport and KLM warn more than a hundred flights disrupted due to ‘de-icing’ issues

17.01.2024 - 00:11 / euronews.com / Airlines

More than a hundred flights have been delayed and dozens cancelled today from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport due to a severe cold snap.

KLM Airlines, the Netherlands flag carrier, warned of disruption “due to weather conditions and limited de-icing capacity” on its website this morning.

The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute has issued a ‘cold yellow’ warning for snow and slipperiness across most of the country.

There’s no official number of flights cancelled and delayed given by airport authorities yet, as the cold weather disruption continues.

But Schiphol’s departure schedule shows the majority of flights - largely to European destinations - have been delayed since yesterday evening.

Flights cancelled altogether from today (16 January) include journeys from the Dutch capital to Helsinki, London City, Copenhagen, Stuttgart, Barcelona, Birmingham, Aalborg and Frankfurt.

“We expect a disrupted flight schedule for the rest of today due to weather conditions,” a spokesperson for the airport told Aviation24 news site earlier this morning.

Passengers with upcoming flights are being urged to contact their respective airlines for specific information and possible alternatives, or check Schiphol’s website.

Freezing conditions on the Amsterdam runways mean that fewer planes can take off and land today.

“The cold winter weather is leading to adjustments to the timetable, because planes have to be de-iced before departure,” a spokeswoman for KLM told aviation news site Luchtvaartnieuws.

According to the airline, passengers will be told if their flight is impacted “as soon as possible”.

The Netherlands isn’t the only place feeling the bite of winter this week.

Across the North Sea, the UK is now in the grip of a cold plunge of Arctic air which has moved in from the north across the whole of the country, the Met Office warns.

There is currently a yellow warning for snow and ice in place across all of Scotland, stretching down into Manchester in England, with a separate warning for most of Northern Ireland.

"This cold snap is already causing difficult driving conditions in the current warning areas, with further severe impacts anticipated on Tuesday,” Stein Connelly, Head of Transport Resilience (Operations) at Transport Scotland said.

“There may be disruption on other modes of transport, so please check with your transport operator before setting off if you’re planning to travel by rail, ferry or air.”