A fresh bout of winter weather forced KLM to cancel 124 flights to and from Amsterdam Schiphol on Monday, capping a weekend that already saw hundreds of scrapped rotations across Europe’s busiest hubs. The Dutch carrier—part of the Air France-KLM group—took the pre-emptive decision after forecasters warned of up to five centimetres of snow and freezing winds. Although the disruption is centred on the Netherlands, knock-on effects are being felt across the French network: Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle recorded more than 500 delays on Sunday evening, and Air France has warned passengers on its CDG–Amsterdam shuttle to expect last-minute re-routing.
Corporate travel managers should brace for further turbulence. With crew duty-time limitations and aircraft out of position, Tuesday morning departures from Paris to North America and Asia may operate with reduced passenger caps. Air France-KLM says change fees are waived for trips booked on or before 3 January for travel through 8 January, and travellers can rebook within 30 days subject to seat availability.
![Snowstorm grounds KLM flights, ripples through Air France-KLM network and French travel plans]()
Amid such volatility, it’s easy to overlook the paperwork: VisaHQ’s France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) lets travellers and mobility teams double-check transit-visa rules, fast-track e-visa applications or renew soon-to-expire passports, ensuring that an unplanned reroute doesn’t morph into an immigration snag.
Travellers transiting Schiphol are advised to build at least a three-hour buffer for connections or, where feasible, switch to high-speed rail between Paris and Amsterdam. Eurostar-Thalys services report high load factors but are adding capacity where possible. Companies with time-sensitive assignments—such as engineers heading to project kick-offs—might opt for virtual alternatives if rebooking extends beyond 24 hours.
While snow is commonplace, Schiphol’s extensive de-icing queues create a domino effect across the alliance’s short-haul network, reducing aircraft utilisation. Meteorologists expect intermittent snow showers over the next 48 hours; should accumulations top forecast levels, Air France warns that slot restrictions at CDG could follow. Mobility teams should monitor airline and airport apps, and remind staff to keep receipts for meal and hotel costs should EU261 compensation apply.
Corporate travel managers should brace for further turbulence. With crew duty-time limitations and aircraft out of position, Tuesday morning departures from Paris to North America and Asia may operate with reduced passenger caps. Air France-KLM says change fees are waived for trips booked on or before 3 January for travel through 8 January, and travellers can rebook within 30 days subject to seat availability.
Amid such volatility, it’s easy to overlook the paperwork: VisaHQ’s France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) lets travellers and mobility teams double-check transit-visa rules, fast-track e-visa applications or renew soon-to-expire passports, ensuring that an unplanned reroute doesn’t morph into an immigration snag.
Travellers transiting Schiphol are advised to build at least a three-hour buffer for connections or, where feasible, switch to high-speed rail between Paris and Amsterdam. Eurostar-Thalys services report high load factors but are adding capacity where possible. Companies with time-sensitive assignments—such as engineers heading to project kick-offs—might opt for virtual alternatives if rebooking extends beyond 24 hours.
While snow is commonplace, Schiphol’s extensive de-icing queues create a domino effect across the alliance’s short-haul network, reducing aircraft utilisation. Meteorologists expect intermittent snow showers over the next 48 hours; should accumulations top forecast levels, Air France warns that slot restrictions at CDG could follow. Mobility teams should monitor airline and airport apps, and remind staff to keep receipts for meal and hotel costs should EU261 compensation apply.
