KLM and Transavia looking for replacement flights for travelers affected by Storm Poly

KLM and Transavia announced on Thursday that they are exerting maximum effort to find replacement flights for travelers affected by the storm on Wednesday. However, both airlines cannot provide information about the exact number of passengers stranded at Schiphol or those still waiting at the airport.

On Wednesday, airlines either canceled or delayed over 700 flights scheduled to take off or land at Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam due to Storm Poly, which brought strong wind gusts peaking at 146 kilometers per hour.

According to a spokesperson, KLM could not comment on specific numbers, including the passengers who managed to board flights on Wednesday. Nevertheless, the majority of passengers have already been rebooked. KLM is making every effort to provide clarity as soon as possible to those who have not yet been accommodated.

Transavia does not have a clear picture of the number of passengers who were able to reach their destinations, notably due to missing declarations, a spokesperson said. Transavia offers passengers the option to book alternative flights elsewhere if no suitable alternative is available through Transavia. In such cases, Transavia covers the additional costs within reasonable limits. “But those receipts have yet to be submitted," the spokesman said.

Most of Transavia's own flights are fully booked. "You don't suddenly have a plane left, that's the problem. Planes scheduled for today, for example, are also full," the spokesman said, explaining that this situation arises from the upcoming vacation season and the need to process many rebookings from previous cancellations.

Schiphol issued a warning earlier, stating that travelers should expect increased congestion at the airport in the coming days due to airline rebookings. KLM had to cancel more than 200 flights at Schiphol due to the storm on Wednesday. Besides the storm, the airline also had to deal with limited runway capacity caused by ongoing maintenance. Transavia had to cancel 17 flights.