Dutch carrier KLM was forced to cancel dozens of flights on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, after ground staff at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (AMS) walked out in support of industrial action. The airline advised passengers that cancellations and further knock-on disruption could extend beyond the strike window, affecting operations throughout the day.
A KLM statement issued in advance of the strike day read, “Due to a strike by KLM ground staff scheduled for Wednesday, September 17th, from 08:00 to 12:00 CET, we have unfortunately had to cancel around 100 flights. Thousands of passengers are affected by this disruption. We are doing everything we can to rebook them on the next available flights.”
The cancellations stemmed from an ongoing labor dispute involving KLM and its ground handling employees who are arguing for fairer working conditions and appropriate collective bargaining agreements. The industrial action was planned in advance, allowing KLM time to contact as many passengers ahead of the strike as possible. However, despite this, passengers were facing unprecedented disruption throughout the morning of September 17, 2025, as they arrived at the airport to find their flights cancelled or heavily delayed.
Over 100 flights affected
In total, KLM was forced to cancel 104 flights, amounting to 15% of its scheduled departures, on September 17, 2025. Another 13 flights were due to face significant delays. These ongoing labor issues highlight the tensions between KLM and its ground crew unions, escalating into a larger-scale disruption that is set to continue. Further travel uncertainty for passengers is likely over the coming days, unless an agreement can be reached with the unions.
The strike action is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute between KLM and several labor unions representing ground crew workers at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. While KLM reached a deal earlier in September 2025 with some of the unions, two others remained dissatisfied with the agreement and decided to move forward with their strike plans for September 2025. This has resulted in the mass cancellation of flights. The failure by KLM to bring all parties to the table has led to ongoing walkouts, forcing the airline to adjust its schedules.
“The announced strike is taking place despite the recent negotiation outcome KLM reached with the three other unions: NVLT, VKP, and De Unie. FNV and CNV have declined the invitation to join this agreement,” added the airline.
Ongoing strike action
The latest strike day follows two days earlier in September when KLM ground workers abandoned their posts and went out on strike. The industrial action began on September 10, 2025, and has already caused the collective cancellation of over 100 flights in the days since.
While the disruptions are primarily focused on Amsterdam Schiphol, other major airports across Europe, including London City, Hamburg, Madrid, and Warsaw, have also been affected, where KLM has a large presence. So far, over 27,000 passengers have been affected by the cancellations earlier in September, according to Reuters, with many more likely to face issues in the coming days as the strike continues.
More strikes to come?
Advising of possible ongoing disruption in the days ahead, a further statement issued by KLM on the morning of the latest strike read, “Are you travelling on or around Wednesday, 17 September 2025? Due to a planned Union strike of KLM ground staff, your KLM flight may be impacted on this date and on the days before and after.”
“Please regularly check updates on your flight status in the KLM app and the KLM website. 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. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
3 comments
I was on a flight from Amsterdam to Washington IAD on Monday Sep 15. On arrival my luggage had not made it to Washington. The desk had a whole A4 page of passenger names whose luggage was affected and we were told that things were in a mess in Amsterdam, presumably due to the strike action. My bag is still at Amsterdam 2 days later (I have an AirTag in it), and we have no-one at KLM to speak with about it. It’s terrible customer service on KLM’s behalf. They have seriously gone down in my estimation.
Same problem, Connecting flight Monday September 15th. Bags arrived in Amsterdam but didn’t get transferred to our Delta flight. I used the Delta baggage tracker at 5:30 am (CDT)and it reported one bag is now flying to MSP and the other to Boston.
Communicate with your carrier via Chat or google for your airline’s customer service email. Have your luggage tag receipts ready to give them the numbers on it. Best wishes for found luggage!
I was flying to Boston on 9/16 from Sofia, Bulgaria with a connecting flight in Amsterdam. My first flight was over 2 hours delayed, we just stayed in the plane which cause me to miss my flight to Boston. To say this day was a mess is an understatement. I waited over 2 and a half hours in a queue to rebook with a number that a KLM agent gave me. My number was 822 and when they called 821 they all of the sudden just missed my number and went to 823. I asked for an explanation and the agent was like “There is nothing I can do, I can only give you a new number and you will have to wait”. I’ve been flying with KLM for a while and this has been the worst travel experience ever. The only reason I made it on the last flight to Boston is because of a kind woman with the number 821, who kindly let me go to the desk with her after seeing the whole situation.
Of course the flight to Boston was also delayed with hour and a half and upon arrival my bag is missing. My AirTag shows it’s still in Amsterdam. My advise is – avoid traveling to Amsterdam and with KLM this month, it’s not worth the stress!!