By Scott Kanowsky
Investing.com -- KLM (EPA:AIRF) has announced that it will cancel as many as 20 flights a day in Europe until late August, as staff shortages at the Dutch carrier and its main hub in Amsterdam lead to "relentless" operational pressures.
The airline said it will scrap between 10 to 20 daily flights to an unspecified number of European destinations until August 28. KLM added that the move aims to restore "stability" at both the company and Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.
"KLM is confident that these measures will ensure smooth handling of incoming and outgoing flights in the coming weeks," the company said in a statement on Friday.
Sales of seats to European cities will be "strongly restricted" in a bid to open up space for customers who are rebooked if their flight is canceled, according to KLM. Freight cargo will also no longer be booked to lessen the workload on ground handling staff at Schiphol.
KLM - which is part of an airline group that includes French flag carrier Air France (Air France KLM SA) - stressed that all these measures are temporary.
Schiphol Airport previously announced that it will move to limit passenger numbers this summer in a bid to bring down disruptions stemming from staff shortages. Meanwhile, KLM has been in ongoing labor negotiations with ground crew unions over working conditions at Schiphol, with workers threatening to go on strike if their demands are not met.
Airports across the world have seen long lines and flight delays recently, as a surge in passenger demand puts pressure on both airlines and hubs struggling to make up for a pandemic-induced downturn in staffing.