Winter storm grounds all flights at Schiphol, around 560 flights cancelled so far
Heavy snowfall brought Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to a complete standstill Monday, grounding all flights until at least 1:00 p.m. Luchtverkeersleiding Nederland confirmed, “There are no runways available.”
Incoming flights are being redirected, mostly to Düsseldorf. At Schiphol, 258 departing flights were canceled and 100 delayed, while 306 arriving flights were canceled and 151 delayed. No arrivals at Schiphol until 1:40 p.m. at least, according to Eurocontrol.
“Due to winter weather and aircraft de-icing, flights on Monday, 5 January, may experience delays or cancellations. In addition, no trains are currently running in the Amsterdam region due to the weather conditions,” the airport said. “Please take possible delays or cancellations into account and check the current flight information before leaving for the airport or contact your airline.”
Eindhoven Airport also faced disruptions, though on a smaller scale. Departures included 11 delays and one cancellation, while arrivals had five delays and one cancellation, ranging from a few minutes to longer waits.
Rotterdam The Hague Airport reported delays of up to several hours. Departures included seven delays and three cancellations, arrivals had one delay and three cancellations, and one overnight flight was diverted to Schiphol. The airport said, “Due to winter conditions, there may be delays or cancellations at Rotterdam The Hague Airport today. We advise you to monitor airline announcements closely.
European air traffic center Eurocontrol warned of continuing severe weather affecting Amsterdam. “A low-pressure area over the North Sea will drive a northerly flow that will affect the Netherlands and northwest Germany with wintry/snow showers,” the organization wrote in a bulletin at 11:30 a.m. “High delays for arrivals due to adverse weather conditions: snow and de-icing.
Eurocontrol warned that the situation at Schiphol may not improve for the rest of Monday. “The weather causes a significant outbound bottleneck, so inbound capacity is reduced to balance demand.” Additionally, airlines were asked to cancel about half of their scheduled flights through 6 p.m., and the airport will generally not be available for diversions.
The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) issued an orange weather alert for ten of the country’s twelve provinces, including Gelderland and Overijssel, starting at 11:00 a.m., with only the Wadden Islands and the southeast under a yellow warning. KNMI defines code orange as “a high chance of dangerous weather with significant impact, possible damage, injury, or major disruption,” while code yellow signals “a chance of dangerous weather.”
Heavy disruptions also affected train and bus services. No trains operated to or from Amsterdam Centraal or Schiphol until at least 12:00 p.m. Roads were treacherous, and Rijkswaterstaat advised drivers in the Utrecht region to avoid travel. Traffic congestion peaked at 690 kilometers nationwide.
On the ground at Schiphol, NH reported thick snow-covered runways, aircraft, and surrounding areas. Several KLM planes stayed parked at the gates, severely limiting visibility. Authorities urged travelers to monitor conditions and avoid unnecessary travel.
