Heavy Snowfall in Europe Trigger Mass Flight Cancellations: Check Major Airports Hit, Most Affected Regions & Key Routes

Air travel across Europe faced fresh chaos this weekend as heavy snow, strong winds and low visibility forced major airlines to cancel dozens of flights. KLM, EasyJet and Air France together scrapped around 60 flights, disrupting travel plans for thousands of passengers across key European hubs including Amsterdam Schiphol, Berlin Brandenburg, and Paris Charles de Gaulle. 

The severe weather system caused widespread delays and cancellations, with ripple effects across Northern, Central and Western Europe. Long-haul travellers, including those flying between Asia and Europe, were also caught in the disruption as several connecting routes were affected. 

Europe Weather: Number of Flights Cancelled Due to Severe Weather

According to flight data, a total of 60 flights were cancelled over the weekend because of snowstorms, fog and strong winds:

• EasyJet: Around 20 flight cancellations
• KLM: Nearly 20 flights cancelled
• Air France: Close to 20 flights cancelled
• Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) saw the highest number of disruptions, emerging as the worst-affected airport during the weather event.

Europe Weather: Key Airports Hit by Flight Disruptions

Several major airports across Europe bore the brunt of the cancellations:

KLM

• Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS): Nearly 20 KLM flights cancelled
• London Heathrow (LHR): Connecting flights from AMS are disrupted
• Berlin Brandenburg (BER): Multiple AMS-BER flights cancelled

EasyJet

• Berlin Brandenburg (BER): Flights to Rovaniemi and Nantes cancelled
• Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS): Routes to Edinburgh and Prague affected
• Bristol International (BRS): Salzburg route cancelled

Air France

• Charles de Gaulle (CDG): Several flights cancelled, especially from AMS
• Geneva (GVA): Delays and cancellations disrupted onward connections
• Pole Caraïbes (PTP): Long-haul flights to Paris affected

Regions Most Affected Across Europe

The weather disruption stretched across multiple regions:

• Northern Europe: Scotland, Ireland, Finland and Austria
• Western Europe: Netherlands, France, UK, Belgium
• Central Europe: Germany, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland

Flights linking Europe to the Caribbean and North America also faced delays due to bad weather over the Atlantic.

Europe Flight Disruptions: Detailed Routes Cancelled or Delayed

Some of the worst-hit routes included:

KLM:

• AMS–Glasgow (KLM941) cancelled
• AMS–Prague (KLM1357) cancelled
• AMS–Vienna (KLM1781) grounded

EasyJet:

• BER–Rovaniemi (EZY5341) delayed
• AMS–Edinburgh (EZY7837) delayed
• BRS–Salzburg (EZY2949) cancelled

Air France:

• AMS–Paris CDG (AFR1651, AFR1841) cancelled
• Toulouse–AMS (AFR1454) cancelled
• CDG–Geneva (AFR1042) delayed

Impact on Passengers and Travel Plans

Passengers faced long waits, missed connections and limited rebooking options. Many travellers spent hours stranded at airports, while others struggled to find alternative flights due to capacity shortages.

Several passengers reported poor communication and delays in receiving hotel stays or meal vouchers. Airlines issued apologies, and KLM extended customer support hours to handle the surge in complaints and rebooking requests.

Why Winter Weather Continues to Disrupt Flights?

Snow and ice reduce runway capacity, slow aircraft de-icing, and create unsafe landing conditions. Low visibility and strong winds further limit takeoffs and landings, forcing airlines to cancel flights to maintain safety.

Passengers Stranded and Schedules Overwhelmed

Across Europe, passengers were left scrambling for alternatives. Hundreds of travellers found themselves stuck at airports with limited help as airlines struggled to rebook flights amid overwhelming call volumes. Some passengers reported waiting hours to speak with customer service representatives, while others sought hotels or alternative transport options such as trains or buses to complete their journeys. 

Travel advisories have urged passengers to check flight status and prepare for continued disruptions, as forecasts show more snow and cold weather lingering across parts of northern and central Europe.