Winter Storm Grounds Hundreds at Schiphol as KLM Faces De-Icing Fluid Shortage

Stubborn winter weather blanketing much of Europe is again causing headaches for travelers flying through one of the continent’s biggest hubs, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (AMS).

According to the latest from FlightAware, more than 400 flights out of Schiphol were cancelled on Wednesday. KLM, which has its hub at Schiphol, is again feeling the impact the most among carriers. Close to 70% of its global schedule for Wednesday has been cancelled, amounting to more than 400 flights. That number is expected to grow as Wednesday progresses into the evening and night.

KLM warned on Tuesday that it was running out of de-icing fluid at Schiphol, an issue that could further exacerbate the weather’s impact. The airline said that the German company that supplies the fluid can no longer guarantee delivery this week with roads and train lines shut down; consequently, KLM has been forced to send its own team to Germany to retrieve the fluid itself.

“Today, more than 100,000 liters of de-icing fluid are on their way to Schiphol. Until our supplier is able to resume full deliveries, we are providing maximum support in the logistics required to secure our supply,” KLM said on Wednesday morning.

For the moment, KLM is telling all passengers who have not yet been rebooked on cancelled flights not to travel to the airport, and instead to either find a hotel or travel home. Its team is on-site at Schiphol, and KLM says that the lines are “getting more manageable,” but passengers should still only come to Schiphol if their flights are confirmed.

The travel disruptions from the storm aren’t limited to Amsterdam Schiphol. Even with 40% of its flights dropped earlier in the week, cancellations at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle (CDG) are now at more than 50, with another 180 flights delayed. Eurostar continues to see delays in France, and the Netherlands, with trains delayed and some cancelled out of Amsterdam and Rotterdam throughout Wednesday.