Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (EHAM/AMS) has during the past couple of days faced one of its most challenging operational periods in recent memory. Since Friday, January 2nd, the airport has cancelled over 3,200 flights. Thousands of passengers have been stranded and the effect has been felt across the European aviation network.
Your flight has (probably) been cancelled
Flightradar24 departure and arrival statistics paint a grim picture of the disruptions faced at Amsterdam Schiphol during the first days of 2026.
- Friday, January 2: 345 cancellations
- Saturday, January 3: 384 cancellations
- Sunday, January 4: 569 cancellations
- Monday, January 5: 711 cancellations
- Tuesday, January 6: 563 cancellations
- Wednesday, January 7: 679 cancellations (so far)
At its worst on Monday, roughly 60% of all scheduled flights both inbound and outbound of Schiphol were cancelled. The Dutch flagship carrier KLM alone were forced to cancel a whopping 300 flights in a single day. The European air traffic management center Eurocontrol warned that up to 70% of Wednesday’s flights could be scrapped.
Why are so many flights being cancelled?
While heavy snowfall for multiple days in a row is the obvious main villain of this story, there actually is more to it.
1. De-icing bottleneck
Even a thin layer of ice on a wing can significantly affect lift which is why all critical surfaces of an aircraft must be completely free of snow and ice before takeoff. KLM operates a fleet of 25 de-icing trucks at Schiphol and is responsible for de-icing not only its own fleet but most aircraft at the airport. KLM’s de-icing teams have been using approximately 85,000 liters of fluid per day since Friday. This is extraordinary, leading to supplies depleting faster than they have been replenished. With the fluid sourced mainly from Germany, supply chain constraints have created a critical shortage that threatens to halt operations entirely.
2. Holdover time windows
The de-icing process involves spraying aircraft with a viscous fluid under high pressure to remove all snow and ice, while keeping it protected from new build up for a certain period of time. The heavier the precipitation, the shorter the time frame an aircraft has from the moment application of the fluid commences to its effect not longer being guaranteed. This window is referred to as holdover time. If an aircraft can’t depart within this crucial time window it must return for re-treatment.
3. Reduced runway capacity
Snow removal crews must continuously clear runways, taxiways, and aprons. In sustained heavy snowfall, this is a job that never ends. Have snowplow drivers felt like Bill Murray’s character in the film Groundhog Day on at least a few occasions? Probably. Besides the heavy snowfall, unfavorable winds have played a minor but noteworthy supporting role in Schiphol’s woes.
4. Limited ground support infrastructure
Unlike airports in regions accustomed to heavy winter weather, Amsterdam rarely experiences conditions as severe as those seen over the past few days. While Schiphol certainly can operate during winter weather, the airport’s de-icing infrastructure obviously isn’t designed to handle a barrage of snow for multiple days in a row.
5. Network domino effect
Last but not least, disruptions tend to travel. Europe’s highly interconnected aviation network means that if an aircraft gets delayed or stuck in Amsterdam, later flights during the day will be affected. Airlines operating inbound Amsterdam hence can choose to cancel a flight simply because they don’t want to risk an aircraft being stuck there—as it could lead to further cancellations down the line.
Schiphol’s de-icing fluid debacle
On Tuesday KLM announced that de-icing fluid supplies were reaching critically low levels. And with no sticky juice available, operations might need to be suspended entirely.
One can only assume how diligently responsible parties have worked to solve this potential nightmare from becoming reality. Late last night, KLM announced that it had arranged emergency de-icing fluid supplies to be transported from suppliers. The first batch arrived earlier in the morning today, with further deliveries expected soon.
Still, KLM and multiple other airlines have proactively canceled hundreds of flights today. The latest numbers available to us at Flightradar24 reveal that 346 outbound and 333 inbound flights have been cancelled on January 7th, so far.
When will it end?
So, now to address the somewhat cold elephant in the room—when will we see an end to the current calamity at Schiphol? Assuming that the deicing fluid situation has been addressed, the main factor of Amsterdam’s woes unfortunately is beyond immediate human control. The latest TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast) available for Amsterdam Schiphol Airport reveals that it will continue to snow throughout Wednesday, with a 30% chance of rain showers in the late afternoon and evening.
Travellers passing through Schiphol in the coming days should brace for continued disruption. Check with your airline for the latest updates, and bookmark Flightradar24’s always up-to-date arrivals and departures board.
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