KLM Faces Staff Strike at Amsterdam Schiphol
KLM is bracing for significant operational disruption as its ground staff plan to strike for six hours tomorrow. This industrial action will affect morning operations at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS), the primary hub for the Dutch flag carrier. Consequently, KLM has preemptively canceled dozens of flights.
Details on KLM and the Strike
- Year Founded: 1919
- Alliance: SkyTeam
- CEO: Marjan Rintel
- IATA/ICAO Code: KL/KLM
KLM has also retimed certain services to reduce passenger disruption by shifting flight schedules outside the strike hours. However, the day is expected to be chaotic at the Netherlands’ largest airport, with more strikes anticipated.
Ground Staff Scheduled Six-Hour Walkout
KLM has informed passengers via its website that a union-organized strike by its ground employees in Amsterdam is likely to cause significant disruption tomorrow. The strike will last from 06:00 until 12:00, involving a large portion of KLM’s ground personnel.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport warned, “your flight may be delayed, changed, or cancelled.” According to Reuters, 119 KLM services are already removed from tomorrow’s schedules. Business Travel News Europe reports that the airline has retimed 70 of its Wednesday flights to avoid the strike hours. KLM assures that affected passengers will be automatically rebooked on the earliest alternative flight, although the rebooking process may take longer due to the high number of passengers impacted.
Focus on Short-Haul Flights
As per Business Travel News Europe, the majority of the canceled flights will impact KLM’s short-haul international routes within Europe. Data from aviation analytics company Cirium shows that KLM planned 322 departures from Amsterdam to European destinations on Monday and Tuesday, and 323 for the rest of the week. In comparison, non-European departures account for significantly fewer flights.
The decision to cancel short-haul flights is strategic, as their higher frequencies and shorter distances facilitate passenger accommodations on other flights to similar destinations. Additionally, road and rail are viable alternatives for these shorter routes.
Ongoing Dispute and Future Strikes
Tomorrow’s strike marks the third industrial action at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport recently, following previous disruptions on September 10 and 17, which resulted in over 100 cancellations each. Moreover, another strike is planned for October 1, expected to last eight hours.
The strikes, organized by Dutch trade unions CNV and FNV, stem from unsuccessful negotiations between KLM and the unions. KLM proposed a 2.25% salary increase over two years for its ground staff, which the unions rejected, citing inflation concerns.
