Finance
Snowstorm-hit travellers bed down in Amsterdam airport, Parisians take to skis
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 7, 2026
4 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 7, 2026
4 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Snowstorm Goretti causes travel chaos in Europe, stranding travelers in Amsterdam and delighting Parisians with rare snow. KLM restocks de-icing fluid.
PARIS/BRUSSELS, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Snow and ice stalled travellers in northwest Europe on Wednesday, forcing around a thousand to spend the night in Amsterdam's Schiphol airport but delighting others who set out to explore a snow-blanketed Paris on sledges and skis.
Storm Goretti blew in from the Atlantic coast and dumped heavy snow on Paris as daylight broke, prompting further flight cancellations, traffic snarls and transport disruptions after days of delays.
Meanwhile, tourists and residents enjoyed the rare sight of snow-covered Paris, with a few taking the opportunity to ski down the slopes of Montmartre and along the Champs de Mars gardens below the Eiffel Tower.
"It's exceptional, it's incredible. It's magnificent and we're enjoying it. We also came across a lot of tourists and they look so happy," said Pierre, a Parisian out admiring the snowy scenery.
People grabbed sledges or even just plastic bags to slide down any slopes they could find.
BEDS FOR STRANDED PASSENGERS AT SCHIPHOL AIRPORT
More than 1,000 travellers spent the night in Schiphol airport as some 700 flights were cancelled on Wednesday, marking the sixth consecutive day of disruption at one of Europe's busiest aviation hubs.
Schiphol spokesperson Stephan Donker said it was an "exceptional situation". The airport had set up a few hundred beds before and after security checks and provided pillows, blankets, food and drinks for travellers, he added.
Schiphol said later it expected no further cancellations on Thursday as temperatures were forecast to rise.
AIRLINE KLM RESTOCKS ON DE-ICING FLUID
Dutch airline KLM said on Wednesday it had received a new supply of 100,000 litres of de-icing fluids, after warning on Tuesday that it was running low.
KLM has used around 85,000 litres every day since Friday to remove snow and ice from aircraft before takeoff.
KLM's supplier Clariant said it was directing de-icing fluid to the airports where it was most urgently needed, even as the icy conditions hampered logistics.
"We are working around the clock to support our customers and partners...to help keep operations running as smoothly as possible in inherently unpredictable conditions," it said.
Around 100 flights were cancelled at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport and 40 at its smaller Orly airport on Wednesday morning, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot told CNews.
Brussels' international airport and train operator Eurostar also reported cancellations and delays.
CONDITIONS SPUR WINTER SHOPPING
Many schools in the Netherlands were shut and authorities urged people to work from home. Several districts were running low on salt and only able to clear major roads, news agency ANP reported.
France had early on Wednesday banned trucks and school buses from the roads in a third of its administrative departments, but lifted severe weather warnings for most of them later on.
Paris bus services were suspended as shops geared up for the first day of the New Year sales.
Christophe Noel, head of France's FACT industry group, said the weather was positive for winter sales.
"It will make people want to buy equipment."
In Spain, snow and cold prompted the suspension of one commuter rail line near Madrid and disrupted more than 40 roads.
PASSENGERS TRAPPED ON TRAIN IN CROATIA
Heavy snow and rain overnight caused travel disruption across the Western Balkans as well.
Passengers were trapped in a train for over 12 hours in the town of Knin in northwestern Croatia after trees fell onto the tracks. Some towns in eastern Bosnia and western Serbia declared emergency situations after power and water cuts.
In Poland, schools in many regions were closed due to snow, with some switching to remote learning. In Hungary, heavy snow hit highways and delayed trains and buses on Wednesday morning.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro in Brussels, Bart Meijer and Anthony Deutsch in Amsterdam, Thomas Seythal in Berlin, Tassilo Hummel in Paris, Alan Charlish in Warsaw, Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo and Jesus Calero in Madrid; writing by Louise Rasmussen; editing by Richard Lough, Andrew Heavens, Alexandra Hudson and Mark Heinrich)
A storm is a disturbance in the atmosphere that can produce strong winds, heavy rain, snow, or other severe weather conditions. Storms can disrupt travel and cause damage to infrastructure.
De-icing fluid is a chemical solution applied to aircraft and runways to remove ice and snow, ensuring safe takeoff and landing during winter weather conditions.
Flight cancellation occurs when an airline decides to not operate a scheduled flight, often due to adverse weather conditions, technical issues, or operational constraints.
Travel disruption refers to interruptions in transportation services, such as flights or trains, caused by various factors including severe weather, accidents, or technical failures.
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