As heatwaves hit large parts of Australia, freezing temperatures in Europe are causing widespread travel disruptions on the continent. The worst hit regions are in France and the Netherlands, where intense snow and icy weather have severely impacted the countries’ busiest airports, with hundreds of flights reportedly cancelled.
The ensuing disarray has left thousands of travellers stranded at airports in Paris and Amsterdam. And the chaos is not expected to abate anytime soon, with disruptions expected to continue into Wednesday, the BBC reported.
According to Reuters, Dutch carrier KLM has preemptively cancelled 600 flights on Wednesday to avoid chaos and stranded travellers at Schiphol airport, a major European hub. This follows the grounding of 400 flights on Tuesday.
“We haven’t experienced such extreme weather conditions in years,” Schiphol spokesperson Anoesjka Aspeslagh said.
Spanish passenger Javier Sepulveda told the news agency that the situation at the airport was “chaotic, unacceptable, frustrating, annoying” and “totally unacceptable”. He had been queuing for more than six hours at the KLM help desk.
According to the BBC, Schipol said its “snow crews are working around the clock to keep the runways clear, and aircraft are being carefully de-iced to ensure everyone can travel safely.”
However, KLM also reported it had almost run out of de-icing fluid for its planes.
In Paris, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot urged people to minimise travel with more snow expected on Wednesday.
Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, France’s busiest hub, will see 40% of its flights grounded on Wednesday morning (local time) to help clear runways of snow.
Elsewhere, Paris’s Orly airport also plans to cancel a quarter of its flights for several hours.
The disruptions follow the cancellation of hundreds of flights at UK airports, including Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham, earlier in the week, per local media.
Rail and road services have also been significantly impacted by the inclement weather.
KARRYON UNPACKS: For Aussie travel advisors, Europe’s freeze means proactive care counts: rebooks, insurance checks and realistic timelines. Prep clients for delays, lean on airline waivers and keep communication flowing as conditions evolve.
