Schiphol did not succeed in strongly limiting the number of travelers on Sunday, a spokesperson said. The airport had set itself the target of departing 5,800 fewer travelers than planned on Sunday. Schiphol asked airlines to book tickets to other dates or airports, but this was unsuccessful. As a result, the busyness of recent days caused by staff shortages continues.
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Long lines also formed outside the departure halls at Schiphol on Sunday morning. The airport expects about 70,000 passengers to depart on Sunday. The biggest crowds are expected to take place between 10am and 4pm. Airlines advise their passengers to come to the airport earlier. A Schiphol spokesperson says that it is “all hands on deck” for the staff, who have to “row with what we have”.
Dozens of flights canceled
Schiphol is struggling with major staff shortages of, among others, security guards, baggage handlers and airline staff. When there was less flying for two years during the corona pandemic, many workers at Schiphol lost their jobs. Due to the fact that many people booked a flight before the May holiday, the pressure on the staff at the airport increased, which led to a major strike by baggage workers and many canceled flights last weekend.
At Schiphol’s request, airline KLM canceled dozens of flights for this weekend. Budget airline Easyjet said it did not want to change its flight schedule.
Also read: The Dutch want to go on holiday en masse, but Schiphol fears chaos