Thousands of Passengers Isolated Across Europe as KLM, Lufthansa, Swiss, Air France, Air Baltic and More Cancel 262 Flights and Delay Over 870 Affecting Heathrow, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, Frankfurt and Key Aviation Centres as Storm Benjamin Batters t
Published on
October 23, 2025
Thousands of passengers were left stranded across Europe after Storm Benjamin unleashed severe weather conditions that forced major airlines including KLM, Lufthansa, Swiss, Air France, and Air Baltic to cancel 262 flights and delay over 870 others, disrupting operations at major hubs such as Heathrow, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, and Frankfurt. The storm brought powerful winds, heavy rain, and poor visibility, grounding aircraft and halting airport activity across multiple nations. As the weather worsened, Europe’s busiest aviation centers struggled to manage flight schedules, leaving travelers facing long queues, missed connections, and extensive waiting times amid one of the season’s most widespread travel disruptions.
As Storm Benjamin continues to sweep across Europe, widespread flight disruptions have left thousands of passengers stranded at major airports from London and Paris to Amsterdam and Frankfurt. According to updated data, the combined total has climbed to 262 flight cancellations and over 870 delays across the continent’s busiest aviation hubs, a figure that highlights the storm’s severe impact on air travel operations.
The chaos has particularly affected flagship carriers like KLM, Lufthansa, Swiss, Air France, Air Baltic, and others, forcing airlines to cancel or delay large portions of their schedules amid dangerous wind conditions, heavy rain, and low visibility that have gripped several regions since the early hours of Thursday.
Storm Benjamin Grounds Flights Across Europe
Storm Benjamin, which intensified over Western Europe mid-week, brought with it strong gusts exceeding 80 kilometers per hour and torrential rain that disrupted both air and ground transport. The storm’s epicenter stretched from the North Sea coastlines of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom to central Germany and France, causing cascading operational delays as aircraft were grounded for safety inspections or rerouted to alternate destinations.
The worst disruptions were recorded at Amsterdam Schiphol, London Heathrow, and Paris Charles de Gaulle, with connecting airports like Frankfurt, Brussels, Dublin, and Munich also reporting multiple cancellations and knock-on delays.
Airport-Wise Breakdown of Flight Disruptions
Below is a detailed look at how each major European airport has been affected by the storm.
London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
Total cancellations: 20
Total delays: 88
British Airways bore the brunt at Heathrow with 11 flight cancellations and 56 delays, representing nearly two-thirds of the airport’s total disruptions. Other airlines hit included KLM, Finnair, Swiss, Lufthansa, Air India, Etihad Airways, Iberia, and Virgin Atlantic.
Passengers reported long queues and re-routing challenges as strong crosswinds caused reduced runway capacity. Heathrow’s operations team issued an advisory urging travelers to check with airlines before heading to the airport.
Dublin International Airport (DUB)
Total cancellations: 4
Total delays: 31
Dublin saw moderate but notable disruption, primarily due to wind shear and wet runway conditions.
- KLM topped the list with 2 cancellations and 1 delay
- British Airways recorded 1 cancellation and 1 delay, while KLM Cityhopper had one cancellation
- Aer Lingus and Ryanair faced multiple delays, with Ryanair logging 18 delays alone
While operations continued for most carriers, passengers flying within Europe experienced cascading delays as connecting flights from the Netherlands and the UK were affected.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS)
Total cancellations: 180
Total delays: 117
Amsterdam emerged as the epicenter of the disruption, with national carrier KLM canceling 151 flights and delaying 57 others, the largest single-airline impact in Europe during the storm.
Other affected carriers included
- German Airways: 20 cancellations and 5 delays
- Air France: 4 cancellations
- British Airways: 3 cancellations
- KLM Cityhopper: 1 cancellation
Even global operators like Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa, and easyJet experienced secondary delays as air traffic control reduced the number of take-offs and landings per hour due to strong crosswinds.
London City Airport (LCY)
Total cancellations: 14
Total delays: 31
Known for its short runway and tight urban approach, London City was particularly vulnerable to high winds.
- KLM led with 6 cancellations and 2 delays, followed by BA CityFlyer with 4 cancellations and 24 delays
- Swiss and German Airways each canceled two flights
Many business travelers heading to Frankfurt, Zurich, and Amsterdam were forced to rebook via Heathrow or Gatwick.
Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Total cancellations: 9
Total delays: 180
Paris Charles de Gaulle, France’s busiest airport, saw heavy turbulence in operations.
- Air France reported 6 cancellations and 90 delays, while its regional subsidiary HOP recorded 1 cancellation and 28 delays
- Several foreign carriers including Swiss, Lufthansa, Delta Air Lines, and easyJet also faced schedule interruptions
The airport authority confirmed that runway congestion and air-traffic control restrictions were the primary causes of delay.
Frankfurt International Airport (FRA)
Total cancellations: 10
Total delays: 149
Frankfurt, Germany’s key aviation hub, remained partially operational but under strain.
- Lufthansa recorded 4 cancellations and 75 delays, while KLM canceled 4 flights due to connecting route interruptions
- Additional cancellations came from Brussels Airlines and several smaller carriers
The storm’s ripple effects led to congestion at gates and aircraft repositioning delays, especially for transatlantic flights.
Brussels Airport (BRU)
Total cancellations: 6
Total delays: 54
Brussels Airlines had 2 cancellations and 27 delays, followed by Swiss and KLM with 2 cancellations each. Strong crosswinds and lightning warnings caused short-term shutdowns of ramp operations, which led to accumulated ground delays across multiple airlines.
Geneva Cointrin International Airport (GVA)
Total cancellations: 7
Total delays: 79
KLM again reported significant disruption here with 4 cancellations. Air France followed with 2 cancellations, and British Airways with one.
easyJet, which has a strong presence in Geneva, faced nearly 50 delays, impacting passengers traveling to destinations across southern Europe and the UK.
Paris Orly Airport (ORY)
Total cancellations: 7
Total delays: 83
Orly, mainly serving domestic and Mediterranean routes, was also hit hard.
- Air France canceled 7 flights and delayed 4, while easyJet logged 29 delays
- Transavia France, Vueling Airlines, and Tunisair each faced multiple delays
Passengers heading to Spain, Portugal, and Italy bore the brunt as crosswinds forced several short-haul aircraft to circle or divert.
Munich International Airport (MUC)
Total cancellations: 5
Total delays: 66
Munich, while less impacted than Frankfurt, still saw steady disruption.
- Lufthansa CityLine reported 3 cancellations and 11 delays, and KLM canceled 2 flights
- Other affected airlines included Air France, easyJet, Swiss, Pegasus Airlines, and Qatar Airways
As the storm moved eastward, Munich became a key diversion airport for several affected flights from France and Switzerland.
Country-Wise Overview
To illustrate the storm’s pan-European scale, here’s how national carriers fared:
- Netherlands (KLM and Cityhopper): 152 cancellations, 57 delays
- Germany (Lufthansa, CityLine, German Airways): 27 cancellations, 111 delays
- France (Air France and HOP): 19 cancellations, 106 delays
- United Kingdom (British Airways, BA CityFlyer, easyJet): 16 cancellations, 512 delays
- Switzerland (Swiss and Helvetic): 12 cancellations, 59 delays
- Nordic region (Norwegian Air Shuttle and Sweden): 7 cancellations, 29 delays
- Finland (Finnair): 3 cancellations, 13 delays
- Belgium (Brussels Airlines): 2 cancellations, 32 delays
- Latvia (Air Baltic): 2 cancellations, 33 delays
- Spain (Vueling Airlines): 1 cancellation, 59 delays
These figures underscore how interconnected European aviation remains. When one region halts operations, delays ripple across entire networks.
Operational Challenges and Safety Priority
The European Air Navigation Safety Agency confirmed that safety protocols mandated flight suspensions in affected regions due to turbulent weather patterns. Airport ground handling operations were repeatedly paused due to lightning alerts and high wind gusts, especially at coastal airports like Amsterdam and Paris.
Despite the disruptions, no safety incidents were reported, and flight crews across all major airlines were commended for maintaining strict operational discipline amid the chaos.
Recovery Outlook
Meteorologists predict that Storm Benjamin will weaken by Friday, allowing for gradual resumption of flights. However, residual delays and aircraft repositioning challenges are expected to continue into the weekend.
Airlines have begun re-scheduling flights to handle passenger backlogs. Amsterdam Schiphol and Frankfurt are expected to lead the recovery, followed by Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle once visibility improves.
As Storm Benjamin slowly drifts eastward, Europe’s aviation network braces for a delicate recovery phase. The past 48 hours have tested operational resilience, coordination between national carriers, and the adaptability of Europe’s busiest hubs.
Thousands of passengers were stranded across Europe as Storm Benjamin’s fierce winds and heavy rain forced major airlines including KLM, Lufthansa, Swiss, Air France, and Air Baltic to cancel 262 flights and delay more than 870 others. The severe weather crippled operations at key airports such as Heathrow, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, and Frankfurt, causing widespread travel chaos across the continent.
For passengers, the storm served as a reminder of how swiftly nature can ground even the most advanced air networks and how the ripple effect of a single weather system can echo across an entire continent’s skies.
