Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and KLM tighten winter operations after January disruptions

Royal Schiphol Group and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines are stepping up coordination and preparedness for winter operations following major disruption caused by heavy snowfall earlier this year.

An independent review by Oliver Wyman found that the impact of January’s severe weather was amplified by a combination of unexpectedly intense snowfall, operational strain, and delayed decision-making, leading to widespread delays, cancellations and long passenger wait times.

Key weaknesses identified

The report highlighted several contributing factors:

• Snowfall arrived earlier and was heavier than forecast
• Demand for aircraft de-icing surged, increasing turnaround times
• Flight reductions were implemented too slowly
• Operational scaling and decision-making lagged behind conditions

Together, these issues created significant disruption for passengers and airport staff.

New joint winter strategy

In response, Schiphol and KLM are implementing a coordinated plan focused on:

• Improved winter readiness and planning
• Expanded de-icing capacity
• Enhanced passenger communication and support

The two organisations will also work more closely with other airport stakeholders to ensure a faster and more coordinated response during extreme weather events.

Limits remain

Both parties acknowledged that severe winter conditions will inevitably continue to disrupt operations. However, they say the new measures aim to reduce the scale and duration of future disruptions, improving resilience at one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs.