THE HAGUE, July 24 (Xinhua) -- More than 9,000 flights were canceled at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, the Netherlands' largest airport, in the first half of 2026 due to winter weather and the conflict in the Middle East, Royal Schiphol Group said on Friday.
According to the group's half-year results for 2026, Schiphol recorded 223,597 aircraft movements in the first six months of the year, a 4-percent decrease from the 232,709 movements recorded during the same period in 2025.
"The first half of 2026 began with disruptions caused by winter weather, resulting in the cancellation of several thousand flights at Schiphol. This was followed by restrictions on air traffic due to the war in the Middle East," the group said in a press release.
To help maintain international connectivity, Schiphol temporarily reduced airport charges to mitigate the impact of the conflict on airlines.
"Thanks to this temporary and targeted relief, routes and the network at Schiphol remained operational, with a recovery in air traffic in the second quarter," the group said.
The temporary reduction in airport charges had a negative impact of 37 million euros (42 million U.S. dollars) on Schiphol's financial result in the first half of 2026.
Schiphol reported revenue of 1.333 billion euros (1.52 billion U.S. dollars) for the first half of 2026, up 5.6 percent from the same period last year.
Passenger numbers, however, edged down slightly. A total of 32.7 million passengers traveled to, from or via Schiphol in the first half of 2026, compared with 32.8 million during the same period in 2025.
Through Schiphol, the Netherlands was connected to 301 direct destinations in the first half of the year, including 122 intercontinental destinations. ■