Amsterdam (dpa) - Passengers travelling through Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on Thursday faced delays and possible cancellations for the second day in a row because of a "fault" in the fuel supply system.

The system returned to operation on Wednesday at 9 pm (1900 GMT), the airport said in a news release. But travellers were advised that a backlog of flights could still cause delays and cancellations on Thursday.

The fuelling problem stranded 20,000 to 30,000 passengers on Wednesday after more than 100 flights were delayed and 180 were cancelled. The disruption, which occurred at the external fuelling company Aircraft Fuel Supply, meant jets' tanks couldn't be refuelled.

About 1,300 people who were already through customs control had to spend the night sleeping on field beds, according to the Red Cross. Local passengers returned to their homes, but others were sent to hotels or slept in waiting areas in the airport's departure hall.

Passengers complained on social media about the chaotic situation and a lack of information.

The cause of the problem at the fuelling company remains unclear. A connection to a current heat wave in Europe was ruled out, and the airport said an investigation would take place.

KLM said Wednesday the problem caused delays and the cancellation of a large number of European flights as well as a limited number of intercontinental flights. The Dutch airline advised passengers to check flight information.

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