Expected Storm Causes Flight Cancellations

KLM has preemptively cancelled 84 flights coming in and out of Schiphol Airport today in an early effort to get a grip on the "code orange" storm predicted for parts of Europe. The storm is expected to hit the Netherlands at about 15:00 local time. "In connection with the (expected) storm on Thursday, December 5th, travelers should take into account cancellations and delays in air traffic," a message on the Schiphol website said. "Travelers are advised to consult Schiphol.nl, teletext, or the airline's websites." So far, only flights within Europe have been affected by the KLM decision. Intercontinental flights are expected to go ahead as scheduled. "As a result of the extreme weather expected, we have cancelled 84 flights to and from Amsterdam," KLM spokesman Joost Ruempol told newswire AFP. "These are flights going to and coming in from across the continent," he added. Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport handles between 120,000 and 140,000 passengers daily.