AMSTERDAM – Air traffic from the Netherlands to Curaçao again failed to run according to schedule on Sunday, January 4, as heavy snowfall at Schiphol Airport caused significant delays for multiple flights operated by various airlines.
TUI flight OR371, which was scheduled to depart at 3:50 p.m. Dutch time, eventually took off at 6:49 p.m. As a result, the aircraft arrived in Willemstad more than two hours later than planned, landing at 11:39 p.m. instead of the scheduled 9:30 p.m. The delay was attributed to winter conditions that required all aircraft to undergo extensive de-icing procedures before departure.
Other TUI flights were also affected. Flight OR757, arriving from Punta Cana, was scheduled to land at 8:05 p.m. but touched down at 9:31 p.m. Flight OR367 experienced a smaller delay, arriving at 5:07 p.m. instead of the planned 4:55 p.m. Notably, that aircraft departed more than an hour later than scheduled but managed to make up part of the delay during the flight.
KLM also affected
TUI was not the only airline impacted by the winter weather. KLM also faced substantial delays. Flight KL733, scheduled to depart at 1:05 p.m., did not leave until 4:10 p.m. and arrived in Willemstad at 8:54 p.m., instead of the planned 6:20 p.m.
KLM flight KL735 departed at 1:08 p.m., significantly later than its original departure time of 10:55 a.m. The aircraft landed in Willemstad at 5:23 p.m. local time, more than two hours later than the originally scheduled arrival time of 2:55 p.m.
Corendon flight cancelled
The situation was even more severe for Corendon. Flight CD5997 from Amsterdam to Curaçao via Bonaire did not depart at all on Sunday. According to Corendon, the World2Fly aircraft assigned to the route was unable to depart on time due to weather conditions in Amsterdam. After completing the required de-icing procedures, a technical issue was detected shortly before departure, forcing the aircraft to return to the gate so that a component could be replaced.
In a statement, Corendon emphasized that safety always takes precedence and that no compromises are made in this regard. The airline expressed understanding for the inconvenience caused to passengers and said it is making every effort to operate the flight as soon as possible, which is expected to be on Monday morning, January 5. Corendon staff were present at the airport to assist passengers and provide information.
The continued disruptions highlight the broader impact of winter weather in Europe on long-haul travel to the Caribbean, with airlines urging passengers to stay informed through official communication channels as conditions remain unpredictable.