Passengers no longer have to expect ‘extremely long’ lines at Schiphol from the summer. CEO Dick Benschop made that promise in the Buitenhof program this afternoon. “But there will always be lines, they are everywhere.” According to Benschop, the quality of Schiphol will again be central from now on, and no longer reducing costs. An agreement must be reached with the unions for higher wages on Wednesday.
Benschop has been under fire for weeks because of the ongoing chaos at Schiphol. It has been busy every day since the start of the May break on April 23, with a line for security sometimes extending far outside the departure hall. Not only travelers and staff are fed up with the chaos, the House of Representatives also demands that Benschop put things in order before the summer.
Strikes
Next Tuesday, the Schiphol director is expected in The Hague to give a text and explanation to the House. The trade union FNV is also present. In the meantime, Schiphol and the trade unions are discussing higher wages for current and potential new staff. If there is no agreement on Wednesday, work stoppages and strikes will follow.
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flow
Benschop thinks he can cope with the greatest chaos with better employment conditions, but also by deploying staff for a better flow in the queues.
Airlines will keep their take-off and landing rights this summer, if they temporarily waive them. Schiphol hopes that airlines will voluntarily cancel flights.
Benschop in a boat
Benschop has regularly been absent in recent weeks. During the May holiday chaos, the CEO had corona, but The Telegraph revealed on Friday that he had nevertheless gone on holiday to Portugal and was bobbing in a boat through the Westbroek Park in The Hague. In addition, he also made time for a gala in the US and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
According to Benschop, that didn’t mean he wasn’t constantly working: “You may say 24/7. Always available, always available. Online is infinitely better than it was.”