Holiday companies say they want the Schiphol airport authority and fuel company Aircraft Fuel Supply to pick up the bill for this week’s breakdown, which, they argue, has cost them millions of euros.

‘We are talking about a lot of money,’ said Frank Oostdam of sector association ANVR on Radio 1 news.

‘Travel agencies have been working overtime to get customers onto a plane or to re-book them. We’ve put a lot of time into it, and that costs money. And if holidaymakers leave a day or two later, we have to refund those days. Given that tens of thousands of people were stuck at Schiphol, the bill will mount up.’

Hundreds of people were forced to sleep at Schiphol on Wednesday night after a breakdown at the airport’s main fuel supplier. Some 180 flights were cancelled and around 200 delayed on one of the busiest days of the year.

In addition, travel firms say that the airport’s communication strategy was poor. ‘Given all the modern technology at its disposal, you should communicate better with your clients,’ Oostdam said.

Travellers who booked their tickets directly with an airline will not get a refund because the breakdown was outside the airlines’ control.