KLM faces de-icing fluid shortage as winter storms disrupt Schiphol Airport

Dutch airline KLM said on Tuesday it is running low on aircraft de-icing fluid at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport after days of heavy snowfall caused widespread flight cancellations and strained airline operations across Europe.

KLM, the Dutch arm of Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA), said extreme winter conditions have forced its fleet of 25 de-icing trucks to operate continuously at Schiphol, the airline’s main hub.

Schiphol Airport operations under pressure

According to KLM, the airline is consuming about 85,000 litres per day of heated water and de-icing fluid (glycol) to clear snow and ice from aircraft before take-off.

“Since Friday KLM has been de-icing aircraft at Schiphol around the clock using de-icing fluid delivered daily,” the airline said in a statement.

However, supply chain delays have emerged.

“Due to a combination of extreme weather conditions and delays in supply from the provider, stock levels are running low. This challenge is currently widespread across Europe,” the company added.

Employees sent to Germany as supplies run thin

KLM confirmed it had dispatched employees directly to its supplier in Germany to collect additional de-icing fluid, though it could not give a clear timeline on how long current supplies would last if deliveries are not replenished.

“We are doing everything we can to prevent it,” KLM spokesperson Anoesjka Aspeslagh said.

The airline cancelled at least 300 flights on Tuesday to and from Amsterdam, where it is the largest operator, adding to thousands of disruptions recorded over the past five days.

Runway de-icing unaffected, Airport says

Schiphol Airport said it still has sufficient supplies of a separate de-icing fluid used to clear runways and taxiways, easing concerns of a complete shutdown.

Winter conditions are expected to persist across the Netherlands, with meteorologists forecasting heavy snowfall and strong winds into Wednesday morning.

The disruption highlights growing airline operational disruption risks as extreme weather events test infrastructure resilience across Europe’s aviation sector.

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