San Diego’s latest European nonstop will be suspended for several months

A new nonstop flight between San Diego and Amsterdam that launched just a few months ago will take a pause in late October and then resume in February, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines confirmed on Monday.

The route, which is a first for San Diego, was first announced last November and it was described as a year-round flight, operating three times a week. The flight made its debut in May.

The unanticipated change appears to be the result of waning demand during the winter period. In a statement, KLM said the following:

“KLM is constantly monitoring the demand for flights and optimizes its global network accordingly. While results from the first months of operating the new service are encouraging, KLM has decided that direct flights between Amsterdam and San Diego will be temporarily suspended per start of the upcoming winter season. Affected customers have been contacted and rebooked, in close cooperation with our partner Delta Air Lines. KLM remains committed to the San Diego market and will re-start direct service again from February 21st, 2026 with 3 weekly flights.”

The last flight will take off on Oct. 23, according to a spokesperson for the San Diego International Airport. The nonstop operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Satudays. KLM already offers nonstop service to Amsterdam from three other West Coast airports — in Portland, Ore., Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The Amsterdam route is one of three European nonstops operating out of San Diego. The other two are British Airways’ flight to London and Lufthansa Airlines’ nonstop to Munich.

While San Diego and other U.S. destinations have seen a gradual rebound in international travel in the years since the pandemic, more recently it has stalled, say some experts, following President Donald Trump’s actions related to tariffs and an immigration crackdown that may have alienated travelers from other parts of the world.

A recent forecast by the research firm Tourism Economics predicts an 8.2% decline in international overnight arrivals in 2025 “as persistent sentiment headwinds weigh on travel decisions.” The sharpest drop has been from Canadian visitors, although overseas arrivals are down just 1.2%, the firm said.

By country, though, Tourism Economics shows a nearly 5% decline from the Netherlands.

San Diego’s newest nonstop route — to Panama City — started in June. Copa Airlines operates the flight four days a week.