As per reports, on Wednesday (17 September), Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KLM) cancelled around 104 flights (15 percent of scheduled departures), while 13 others faced major delays due to the strike scheduled between 0800 hours and 1200 hours local time (0600 hours to 1000 hours UTC).

Unions Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (FNV) and Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond (CNV) have stated that the strike aims to pressure KLM for an acceptable wage package, highlighting that current wage increases agreed with other smaller unions are insufficient.

• The dispute involves KLM’s 14,000 ground staff, who argue they are losing purchasing power and accuse the airline of prioritising pilots with additional benefits. KLM, in a statement ahead of the strike, apologised to passengers and confirmed that thousands were impacted, with cancellations and delays expected to ripple throughout the day.
• Looking ahead, unions have announced further industrial actions of a six-hour strike planned for 24 September from 0800 hours to 1400 hours local time (0600–1200 hours UTC), followed by an eight-hour strike on 01 October from 0600 hours to 1400 hours local time (0400 to 1200 hours UTC). Union leaders have also warned of possible escalation if no new collective labour agreement is reached.