KLM expects on Sunday “to be able to carry out the operation again as previously planned”. On Saturday, the airline flew with empty planes to Schiphol from European destinations.
KLM took this measure on Saturday because it was too busy at Schiphol. By not taking transfer passengers with them in particular, those travelers did not get stranded on Saturday at the overcrowded airport.
Although KLM thinks that Sunday will also be a busy day at the airport, it is not expected that the measure will have to be taken again. The airline therefore assumes that it will be a regular busy Sunday.
On Saturday, KLM canceled the flights of passengers in 42 aircraft, which flew empty from European destinations to Schiphol. Twelve flights were able to continue with passengers.
According to KLM, the measure was necessary because of unfavorable weather conditions and runway maintenance. That caused a domino effect and disruptions on Saturday, Schiphol reported earlier.
“Incredibly annoying,” said KLM chief operating officer René de Groot. “Despite the steps we took earlier to make the weekend run smoothly, today has been another very difficult day for our passengers and staff. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience. We are doing everything we can to to quickly return to a feasible operation.”