Significant disruption to air traffic to and from Dutch airports on Monday evening due to malfunction

The malfunction in the air traffic control system, which resulted in nearly no air traffic to and from the Netherlands late Monday evening for several hours, has been resolved. Luchtverkeersleiding Nederland (LVNL) reported the rectification of the issue. Due to the malfunction, flights were only able to land and take off from Dutch airports to a limited extent since approximately 23:00 (local time).

“After an earlier technical malfunction that occurred on the evening of Monday, April 15th, the air traffic control system LVNL is fully operational again. We will gradually resume directing flights in the Dutch airspace and airports. Some of the flights that were previously delayed have been cancelled by the airlines, and other flights are being operated with delays. We are aware of the unpleasant consequences this has for passengers, airlines, and the airport. Further investigation is being conducted into the cause of the malfunction that occurred,” stated the organization.

Flights were only able to land and take off from Dutch airports to a limited extent since approximately 23:00 on Monday. Among the affected airports were Amsterdam Schiphol and Rotterdam The Hague Airport.

The cause of the malfunction is yet to be determined. According to an LVNL spokesperson, investigations are underway. It is not yet clear whether the aftermath of the malfunction will affect flights scheduled for Tuesday morning.

A few aircraft managed to land at Schiphol, while others were forced to divert to other airports, like Brussels and Ostend airport in Belgium. “Safety is our top priority, which is why we switched to a backup system,” LVNL stated. Around a quarter to two in the morning on Tuesday, Luchtverkeersleiding Nederland announced that the malfunction had been rectified.

Dozens of flights at Schiphol were already canceled on Monday due to severe gusts of wind.