The first full-day KLM Strike of the 2025 summer season is set for Saturday, June 28. Ground-staff unions FNV and CBV have ordered a 24-hour work stoppage at Schiphol Airport, running from 02:00 local time Saturday until 02:00 Sunday. Travelers holding KLM tickets-or connecting on partner airlines-should prepare now for potential cancellations, baggage delays, and missed connections. This briefing explains what is happening, why it matters, and how to keep your trip on track.
Key Points
- Strike window: 02:00 June 28 - 02:00 June 29.
- About 7,000 ground employees will walk out.
- Why it matters: Schiphol is KLM's primary hub; ripple effects may hit partner airlines.
- KLM warns of limited rebooking space because summer cabins are already near capacity.
- Passengers can re-route or request refunds without fees through June 27.
- EU261 compensation applies if your flight is delayed three hours or more.
KLM Strike Snapshot How It Works
Ground-staff crews handle every flight-critical task between touchdown and take-off: loading and unloading bags, towing aircraft, fueling, dispatch, and boarding. FNV and CBV represent roughly two-thirds of these employees. Their chief demand is an immediate 8 percent wage hike plus inflation indexation going forward. KLM counters that rising fuel and airport fees leave no room for additional payroll costs this year. With talks stalled after 20 rounds, the unions chose a one-day stoppage timed just after the June 26 NATO Summit, when VIP traffic clears but school holidays begin.
KLM Strike Background Brief Why Add It
Strikes by KLM ground workers are not new. Wildcat stoppages in April 2022 and a four-hour walkout in September 2024 each forced dozens of cancellations and drew criticism from tourism groups. Management pledged smoother negotiation cycles, yet the current collective-labor agreement expired in March 2025 with no successor. Pay has been frozen since 2023, even as pilot bonuses and executive variable pay climbed more than 30 percent, according to union data. In mid-June, FNV formally left the table; CBV followed two days later. KLM sought an injunction but the Haarlem District Court declined to block Saturday's action, citing the constitutional right to strike.
KLM Strike Latest Developments
The walkout's timing-early in Europe's peak travel window-heightens its potential impact. Schiphol already has one runway closed for maintenance, and a second is parked with summit charter traffic, reducing capacity by roughly 15 percent. KLM says it will finalize an emergency schedule on Thursday night, prioritizing long-haul departures and high-yield corporate routes. Travelers booked on regional feeder flights may bear the brunt of cuts. Below are the freshest details as of June 25.
Timeline of Negotiations and Legal Steps
- March 14: Collective-labor pact expires.
- April 30: Mediation fails after ten sessions.
- June 17: Unions file Strike notice.
- June 24: KLM petitions court; petition denied June 25.
- June 27, 18:00: Deadline for a last-minute pay offer before picket lines form.
Expected Operational Impact at Schiphol Airport
KLM handles about 700 movements per day. Internal models seen by union negotiators suggest up to 250 flights could be cut if no contingency labor is found. Baggage services will be the hardest hit; prior actions saw luggage delivery times balloon to three hours. Transfer passengers heading to Delta Air Lines or Air France may need overnight stays in Amsterdam as connecting banks unravel. Travelers should monitor the airline's flight-status tool and enroll in text alerts.
Passenger Rights and Practical Work-Arounds
Under EU261, a labor dispute within the airline is not an extraordinary circumstance. That means KLM owes care, duty of assistance, and cash compensation-up to EUR 600 (about USD 645) for long-haul delays-if you arrive three hours late. Rebooking on competing carriers is permitted if KLM cannot provide comparable transport the same day. For step-by-step guidance, see our European airport Strike survival guide, which outlines refund workflows, Hotel entitlements, and credit-card travel-insurance tips. For authoritative legal wording, consult the European Commission's Passenger Rights portal.
Analysis
Summer 2025 demand outstrips 2019 levels, yet staffing at Schiphol Airport remains 12 percent below pre-pandemic headcount. A 24-hour KLM Strike during the first school-holiday weekend therefore carries disproportionate risk. Leisure travelers-many holding nonrefundable tour packages-may find alternatives scarce and fares stratospheric. Business flyers face lost productivity if high-frequency shuttle services to London or Frankfurt are trimmed. Travelers originating outside Europe should consider rerouting through Paris, Frankfurt, or London, where Star Alliance and Oneworld hubs maintain fuller backup capacity. Packing carry-on only, keeping prescriptions in hand luggage, and booking same-day rail connections on flexible tickets can mitigate baggage or flight-misconnect hazards. Longer term, analysts warn that repeated labor flashpoints threaten Schiphol's reliability brand at a moment when Emirates and Turkish Airlines court Dutch vacationers via hub-and-spoke detours. Unless a wage deal emerges by midsummer, further stoppages could coincide with the late-August return rush, compounding the damage.
Final Thoughts
Travelers booked for June 28 should act now. Verify your contact details in your KLM profile, download boarding passes early, and consider shifting to flights before 14:00 Friday or after noon Sunday, when ramp services stabilize. If you must fly on Strike day, arrive at Schiphol at least three hours early and tag carry-on bags with an extra itinerary label. Keep digital scans of passports and tickets handy for quick claims filing. Finally, monitor talks; if the KLM strike is called off at the eleventh hour, you can often reinstate your original ticket without fees. A little proactive planning today can spare a lot of airport frustration this weekend.