Nearly 200 Schiphol flights cancelled due to Storm Benjamin; Europa League matches hit

Travelers at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport can expect delays and cancellations Thursday as Storm Benjamin sweeps through the Netherlands, bringing strong winds that are disrupting both air and rail traffic. The storm’s anticipated arrival also forced changes to two Europa League matches hosted in the Netherlands on Thursday.

Some 91 departures have been canceled, mostly KLM flights within Europe scheduled to take off after 3 p.m. About 125 flights on the morning schedule faced mostly minor delays, and five additional afternoon flights were already expected to depart late.

Meanwhile, 62 flights arriving today, mostly in the late afternoon and evening, were canceled. Another 31 flights due to arrive between midnight and noon Friday were also canceled, again mostly KLM. At least 74 arriving flights were already delayed by noon, including some by only a few minutes.

Flights destined for Amsterdam were also facing capacity limitations, according to European air traffic center Eurocontrol. The office said it expected “moderate delays” in an update at 10:30 a.m. and issued a warning that Storm Benjamin could bring “very strong winds” to the entire Benelux region, as well as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and possibly northeastern Spain and the Western Mediterranean region.

“Due to strong winds caused by Storm Benjamin, flights will be delayed or canceled from 6 p.m. onwards. Are you traveling via Schiphol today? Then take the weather conditions into account and plan your trip carefully,” Schiphol Airport stated.

The country’s rail system was also bracing for disruptions. Rail operator ProRail and train companies urged travelers to monitor weather reports and travel planners and, if possible, head home earlier than usual.

ProRail, its contractors, and railway firms have taken precautionary measures to minimize the storm’s impact. Incident response teams will assist stranded trains, while additional repair crews are ready to handle track damage.

Ongoing maintenance at sites including Lelystad, Ede-Driebergen, Schiedam, and between Haarlem and Amsterdam Sloterdijk may be paused if wind speeds become unsafe, potentially delaying scheduled work. Freight terminals may also close temporarily under dangerous conditions, and high-speed rail lines could see reduced speeds or temporary stoppages.

Authorities advised travelers to follow forecasts, plan trips carefully, and leave earlier than usual. Storm Benjamin is expected to continue through Friday morning, with repair work on tracks and overhead lines postponed until conditions are safe. ProRail said full repair efforts will resume once it is safe to do so.

Additionally, the storm was beginning to have an impact on entertainment events scheduled in the Netherlands. Rotterdam in Zuid-Holland and Alkmaar in Noord-Holland were both due to host Europa League football matches.

The Feyenoord match against Greek side Panathinaikos was initially set to get underway at 6:45 p.m., but that was moved up to 4:30 p.m. Later in the day, the match was moved again to 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, Alkmaar club AZ plays Slovan Bratislava at AFAS Stadion. The kickoff there will happen at 6:45 p.m. instead of 9 p.m.