Dense fog disrupted flights across north-west Europe on Tuesday, with 1,120 delays and 58 cancellations recorded at major airports by late afternoon, flight-tracking data shows.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol recorded the highest number of delays, with 273, followed by Madrid-Barajas with 234, Paris Orly with 127 and London Heathrow with 121. KLM was the worst-affected airline, with 171 delayed flights, followed by easyJet with 114.

Schiphol worst hit in the morning fog

At Schiphol, dense fog disrupted more than 175 flights during the morning. By about 08:00 CET, 29 flights had been cancelled, 17 departures and 12 arrivals, and 147 were delayed, according to Dutch outlet NL Times, which reviewed the airport's flight information. A Schiphol spokesperson confirmed to Dutch news agency ANP that fog was restricting the number of aircraft the airport could handle, with arriving flights particularly affected and delays ranging from about 10 minutes to more than an hour.

The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, KNMI, issued a code yellow fog warning for much of the Netherlands, with visibility falling below 200 metres in some areas. Eurocontrol, the European air traffic organisation, said low-visibility procedures were in place at Schiphol and warned of significant arrival delays, with extensive fog stretching from southern Britain through the Benelux countries towards Poland, Denmark and Norway. London Heathrow, London City and Paris Orly were also affected.

Roads hit as well

The fog also complicated road travel in the Netherlands. Dutch motoring organisation ANWB recorded 181 traffic jams covering 948 kilometres at about 08:25, while infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat reported multiple accidents and substantial traffic delays. The figures are snapshots from the day and may change as airlines complete their schedules, so passengers should check with their airline before travelling. Travel and Tour World compiled the Europe-wide figures from FlightAware data, while FTN News reported the Schiphol morning figures.