KLM cancels flights as Amsterdam ground staff plan six-hour strike

Passengers have been advised by Amsterdam Schiphol Airport that "your flight may be delayed, changed, or cancelled​​​​​​," while Reuters reported that 119 KLM flights have already been removed from tomorrow’s schedule. Business Travel News Europe noted that KLM has rescheduled 70 Wednesday flights to operate later in order to avoid overlap with the strike period. The airline stated:

"If your flight is cancelled or you miss a connecting flight due to this strike, we will automatically rebook you on the first available alternative flight. As this action may affect quite some passengers, rebooking may take longer than usual."

Most cancellations are expected to impact short-haul international routes within Europe, according to Business Travel News Europe. These services form a significant part of KLM’s daily operations. Data from Cirium shows that this week KLM scheduled over 320 European departures each weekday from Amsterdam, compared with about 50 non-European departures per day. Short-haul flights are more easily consolidated or replaced due to their frequency and alternative travel options such as road and rail.

This marks the third industrial action by KLM ground staff this month; previous strikes occurred on September 10 and 17 and resulted in over 100 cancellations each time. Another walkout is planned for October 1, lasting eight hours instead of six.

The ongoing dispute stems from unsuccessful negotiations between KLM and unions including CNV and FNV. The company offered a 2.25% pay increase over two years for ground staff, but unions rejected it as insufficient given current inflation rates.