Schiphol will reduce the number of passengers allowed to depart daily from Amsterdam in September and October by 9,250 passengers. That is 18 percent of all locally departing travelers. When the departure of Dick Benschop was announced, it was already known that Schiphol would implement another restriction. This is necessary to guarantee the safety of passengers and employees, according to the airport. There is a great shortage of security people at the airport. According to Schiphol, the security firms cannot supply as many employees as they had previously promised. The measure will last until at least October 31.
“Bad news for passengers and airlines,” said operational director Hanne Buis. Until now, September had a maximum of 67,500 local departing travelers per day and 69,500 for October. Now it will be 54,500 in September and 57,000 in October.
The contraction only concerns passengers who board in the Netherlands. Transfer passengers who transfer in Amsterdam and do not have to go through security will not be hit.
KLM calls it disappointing that Schiphol is once again taking these steps at the last minute. Transavia also complains that the measure was announced late.
The major travel organizations say that they are not yet able to say anything about the consequences for their customers. The restrictions fall during the autumn break. Until the end of October, the airports of Rotterdam and Eindhoven have hardly any space to take over flights from Schiphol.
Schiphol is not the only airport in Europe that has had to limit its capacity due to staff shortages at service companies. London Heathrow, the UK’s main airport, has extended restrictions it put in place for last summer. British Airways, which has Heathrow as its home port, is therefore canceling 8 percent of its flights (10,000) for the coming months.
Air traffic controllers in France went on strike for 24 hours on Friday. Travelers to and from France faced delays and cancellations. About a thousand flights to and from France have been cancelled.
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of September 17, 2022