KLM cancels all flights from European cities to Schiphol on Saturday night

Dutch airline KLM said on Saturday it stopped transporting passengers to Schiphol Airport from European cities on flights scheduled to take off that evening. The decision was made because of the crowds at the Amsterdam airport, KLM said in a statement.

The company’s City Hopper flights will return to Schiphol empty. The airport has been struggling with large crowds during the Pentecost weekend.

KLM also mentioned "unforeseen and acute circumstances that are beyond our control.” In a statement, KLM said that, "Due to unfavorable weather conditions and runway maintenance at Schiphol, many aircraft were unable to land or depart in Amsterdam. This means that a large number of KLM flights were delayed or even canceled on Saturday. The number of passengers who were unable to depart from Amsterdam due to these external influences has increased significantly as a result."

Schiphol pointed out that the airline’s measure is independent of the crowds caused by passengers departing from the airport. Due to the unfavorable wind direction and limited runway capacity, delays have occurred and flights have been cancelled. That has a domino effect and causes disruptions, according to an airport spokesperson.

KLM previously reported that it was canceling up to fifty flights a day this weekend as a way of doing its part to contribute to "a manageable situation at the airport and in its own operation," the company said on Friday.

The extra measure is intended to ensure that as many stranded passengers can still depart from Schiphol as possible on Saturday, and also that KLM can operate as many flights as possible on Sundays. KLM stated that it "is doing everything it can to offer passengers an alternative flight as quickly as it possible.”