Flights resume after system meltdown halts all traffic at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport

Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport was forced to suspend all inbound and outbound flights on Wednesday due to a technical issue with air traffic control systems at the transport hub.

The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, also known as Eurocontrol, said that problems arose shortly after 1pm local time following a “communications failure” in lower airspace.

Dutch Air Traffic Control said the incident was the result of technical issues between pilots and air traffic controllers, adding that backup communications system allowed all flights in Dutch airspace to land safely. Inbound flights are not being admitted to Dutch airspace at this time.

Officials at Schiphol Airport said in a statement that outbound flights are “slowly” resuming with air traffic control being stabilized. Air passengers have been told to expect delays as the airport attempts to return to normal service.

Earlier, the official airport Twitter page warned passengers of a complete shutdown due to an undefined traffic control problem. “Air traffic control is investigating this matter,” the post read.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!