Watch: Snow Causes Flight Cancellations At Schiphol Airport, Staff Member Makes 'Snowman'

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, one of Europe's busiest hubs, cancelled hundreds of flights due to extreme winter weather and snow, with a viral video showing the airport's ground staff making a "snowman" on the snow-covered grassy spaces beside an aircraft. Another viral video shows the staff members having a playful snow fight. More flights might get cancelled in the coming days as snow and freezing temperatures continue to wreak havoc across Europe. 

Over 2,700 flights had been cancelled till Tuesday (Jan 6) since January 2, causing major disruptions, affecting more than 350,000 passengers flying to and from Amsterdam Schiphol. According to Flightradar24's post on X (formerly Twitter), 675 flights were cancelled on January 7, which amounts to 59% of all scheduled departures and arrivals. The information was shared at 1:31 PM, with the possibility of more cancellations through the day.

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The Airport had also confirmed that only limited air traffic is possible on January 7. "As a precaution, more than 600 flights are cancelled. More cancellations are expected," said an airport spokesperson as quoted by AeroTime.

On Tuesday, a video shared on X showed a ground staff member making a snowman beside an aircraft. In another video, some staff members were seen having a snow fight at Amsterdam airport. Notably, the exact dates when both the videos were shot are unclear, but they overall show chaos at the airport.

Watch the video here:

How cold is in Amsterdam Schiphol airport? Snow Man Building level cold pic.twitter.com/aL1rHHl3gg

— Air Safety #OTD by Francisco Cunha (@OnDisasters) January 6, 2026

Watch the video of the snow fight here: 

Amsterdam Airport Arctic Action! (Ramp Agent Snowball Fight Amongst Parked Aircraft)

A great video via cgspel on TikTok 📸
Commentary by Pete the Irish Pilot 🎙️#aviation #AmsterdamAirport #rampagentlife #snowballfight #groundcrew #winterops #AvGeek #aviationvideos… pic.twitter.com/Wc8yAO7lB3

— Pete the Irish Pilot (@peteirishpilot) January 6, 2026

What Caused The Chaos?

Heavy snowfall and strong winds have strained runway operations and aircraft de-icing efforts. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the airport's largest operator, has been forced to cancel hundreds of flights, citing a shortage of de-icing fluid.

As per the carrier, its Germany-based supplier was currently unable to guarantee timely replenishments after 85,000 litres of de-icing fluid. KLM, British Airways, and easyJet are among the airlines impacted, with many flights delayed or cancelled.

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On Tuesday evening (Jan 6), the Dutch national airline warned: "Persistent snow is expected tomorrow morning, combined with a strong southerly to southeasterly wind."

"KLM has therefore had to cancel 600 flights for Wednesday. By making this decision now, we can provide our passengers with timely clarity and prevent last-minute flight cancellations, leaving travellers stranded at Schiphol."

"Many KLM colleagues, including office staff and crew, are making extra efforts to assist our passengers at Schiphol as best as possible."

Airport authorities are working to clear runways and restore operations. They are also urging the travellers to check flight status and plan ahead. Not just flights, train services between Schiphol and Amsterdam Central Station were also halted.