Schiphol nearly back to normal with only 4 flights canceled, but cold Monday ahead

Flight operations at Schiphol Airport returned largely to normal on Sunday, ending days of disruption caused by severe winter weather that stranded thousands of passengers. Improvements were already visible earlier in the day, with only four outbound flights canceled. With snowfall easing, an incoming flight from Innsbruck was delayed from 1:20 p.m. to 3:20 p.m., but no further major disruptions were reported.

Earlier this week, thousands of flights were canceled due to icy conditions and the time required to de-ice aircraft, forcing more than 1,000 travelers to sleep at the airport from Tuesday into Wednesday. In the following nights, hundreds more reportedly stayed overnight in the terminal.

A Schiphol spokesperson said Sunday morning that “the cots were not used, and no breakfasts were distributed. The airport now appears normal.” It remains unclear whether all passengers stranded earlier in the week have reached their final destinations.

The spokesperson added that scheduled flights are also expected to operate normally on Monday, although colder temperatures are forecast again, raising the possibility of renewed weather-related problems.

KLM said it is continuing to review the situation and expected to provide more information later in the day. A company spokesperson said, “All passengers have been rebooked,” but could not confirm whether all previously stranded travelers have already arrived at their destinations.

According to the airline, this week’s winter weather affected about 300,000 passengers. De-icing procedures took roughly half an hour per aircraft, causing delays even for flights that were able to operate.

To accommodate disrupted travelers, KLM deployed larger aircraft to destinations including Berlin, Rome and Copenhagen. An extra flight was also added Wednesday to transport 318 stranded passengers to London.

Elsewhere in the Netherlands, flight operations were largely unaffected. No outgoing or incoming flights were canceled on Sunday or Monday at Rotterdam The Hague Airport, although one outbound flight to Innsbruck was delayed from 2:20 p.m. to 3:25 p.m. No delays or cancellations were reported at Eindhoven Airport.