Schiphol will set a daily passenger ceiling in September and October. In September, no more than 67,500 travelers – not including transfer passengers – can depart per day. That number will increase by 2,000 a month later, when the autumn holidays have started, the company announced on Tuesday. The airport is imposing the limits because there is not enough staff for security and baggage handling to escort a larger group of travelers to their aircraft.
Before the corona crisis, more than two million passengers traveled from Schiphol per month, an average of about 69,000 departing travelers per day. The announced limits are therefore only slightly below. In and around the autumn holidays, Schiphol expects 3,500 too many locally departing passengers per day.
Dodge
KLM is not canceling flights for the time being, the airline informs ANP news agency. During that period, the company sells fewer seats to Dutch travelers.
The other airlines will enter into discussions with the appointed slot coordinator to allocate the flights in proportion to Schiphol capacity. If they cannot realize all flights from there, the airlines can choose to move flights to other airports or cancel the trip.
Both the airport in Rotterdam and Eindhoven have already announced that they cannot take over flights themselves due to the already full flight schedules. Groningen Airport in Eelde does have room: it can take over at least ten flights a day.
More clothes and shoes
Schiphol states that additional security personnel will be available from August; in that month the airport has a ceiling of 73,000 travelers per day, which is 5,500 more than in July. According to Schiphol, the fact that the passenger limit was lowered in September despite more security guards is due to “the seasonal effect”. In September, people on average take more clothes and shoes with them, which means that the baggage check takes longer.
The airport has been struggling with capacity problems for some time: too many travelers come for the number of employees available. This summer there are very long lines at the airport almost every day. Sometimes travelers risk missing their flight as a result.
Several airlines have also moved their trip to another airport or were forced to cancel the trip. At the end of July, Schiphol advised travelers not to be present more than four hours before departure, in order to avoid greater chaos.
Schiphol is not the only airport struggling with capacity problems. Heathrow is also very busy: London airport also has a shortage of security guards and baggage handlers.
On Tuesday, British Airways therefore announced that it would suspend ticket sales for short-haul flights from Heathrow until August 8. Earlier, the airline canceled 13 percent of its flight schedule for the period from April to October.
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of August 3, 2022