Amsterdam Airport runs low on de-icer as polar blast hits Europe

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is running low on aircraft de-icing fluid, as heavy snow and plunging temperatures disrupt transport and power systems across Europe. Since the cold snap started last week, Air France-KLM — which is responsible for most ice-removal operations at the Netherlands’ biggest airport — has been using a winter’s worth of de-icer every day. With stockpiles running low, KLM crews rushed to Germany on Tuesday night to retrieve more of the fluid from its supplier, according to spokesperson Anoesjka Aspeslagh. [caption id="attachment_57294059" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] A polar blast in Europe has caused issues at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS). (Courtesy/AMS)[/caption] That wasn’t enough to prevent snow and strong winds from causing severe disruptions at Schiphol (AMS), with more than 600 flights canceled so far on Wednesday. The freezing weather has also sapped de-icing stocks at other European airports, with hundreds of flight cancellations in France. The icy conditions have been linked to at least five road deaths in France, according to AFP, while the snow has triggered weather warnings in Scotland and hundreds of kilometers of traffic jams in central Europe. Another wave of snow is forecast today, with amber alerts stretching from France and Belgium to Germany and Denmark. The winter blast is fueled by a frigid mass of Arctic air steered across the continent by high-pressure systems in northern Europe that are blocking warmer air from entering from the Atlantic Ocean. The unseasonably cold conditions — with the average temperature in Berlin set to fall about 11C below the thirty-year norm next Tuesday — are forecast to persist through mid-January. Weather cancels flights across Europe More than a thousand stranded travelers spent the night at AMS last night, as Amsterdam had its heaviest snow in four years, ANP reported. AMS set up camp beds and distributed breakfast Wednesday morning, while officials urged travelers to avoid the airport if their flight is canceled. About 100 flights were canceled on Wednesday at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), and around forty at Paris’ other main airport, Orly (ORY). Ice and heavy snow is impacting thirty-eight French departments, including the capital. Five airports were closed on Tuesday in the north and west of the country, including Nantes (NTE), Vatry (XCR), La Rochelle (LRH), Albert-Bray (BYF) and Saint-Nazaire (SNR), according to France Info. France has seen average temperatures 6C below normal, making it the most severe cold snap since February 2012. France and the Netherlands are seeing widespread disruptions to train and bus services due to the cold, which is also straining power systems amid weak wind and solar generation. Meteo France expects Storm Goretti to move in on Thursday, pushing out the coldest air and triggering a “significant thaw” across many regions. The low-pressure system will also bring heavy snow to the northern French Alps, along with western Valais and the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. Some ski resorts could receive more than a meter (3.3 feet) of snow. Cargo Facts will present four invaluable events for airfreight professionals in the first half of 2026, starting with Cargo Facts LATAM, on Feb. 10-12. Register for Cargo Facts LATAM by Jan. 9 to take advantage of early-bird pricing. To see the agendas and register for the events, visit CargoFactsEvents.com .

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