Snowfall misjudged as Schiphol and KLM prepare reforms after January disruption

Schiphol and KLM are introducing extra steps to improve their readiness for snow and freezing conditions, following a review of the major weather-related disruptions at the airport earlier this year.

Severe winter weather led to hundreds of flight cancellations in early January, impacting roughly 300,000 passengers. A review by consultancy firm Oliver Wyman found that the disruption was worsened by a mix of extreme conditions, operational issues, and the timing of additional measures.

According to the report, snowfall began sooner and was heavier than expected, leading to an underestimation of how much de-icing would be needed. At the same time, available de-icing capacity was not fully utilized, and the infrastructure proved insufficient to cope with peak demand.

Reducing flight numbers quickly enough also turned out to be a challenge. Schiphol could only advise airlines to scale back operations, without the power to enforce cuts, leaving it up to carriers to act. While some flights were cancelled, the reductions were insufficient, leading to longer queues.

The report also notes that such weather conditions are relatively uncommon at Schiphol and that heavy winter weather inevitably leads to operational disruption at major airports, even those with strong infrastructure and preparation.

“The report contains many good recommendations that we will immediately start working on,” Schiphol wrote. Together with KLM, it plans to improve winter preparations and strengthen passenger support and communication. The airport and airline are also looking into possible investments in extra de-icing facilities and are in talks about using existing de-icing capacity more efficiently.

In addition, Schiphol will discuss possible new powers with the Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management. “For some of these recommendations, strengthening Schiphol’s coordinating role is necessary,” Schiphol explains. “This would make it possible, in the event of operational disruptions, to impose measures, such as canceling flights and allocating de-icing capacity, instead of merely advising them.”