The airport, which has been dealing with peak crowds for both departing and incoming travelers for weeks, previously warned of very busy Pentecost days. On Sunday around 4.15 am there is again a continuous flow of travelers towards departure halls 1 & 2. Despite the long queues, things go fairly smoothly at the check-in counters, after which travelers arrive in a long line of people towards customs.
Despite this, KLM says it expects that the special measure will not have to be used again on Sunday. On Saturday evening, twelve flights, including from Ibiza, Athens, Paris and Malaga, could still continue with passengers. But the other European flights took place with an empty plane.
KLM’s decision stems from the persistent pressure at Schiphol, which is struggling with staff shortages in security and baggage handling. By not including transfer passengers in particular, these travelers did not get stranded at Schiphol. According to a spokesperson for the airline, the measure, which came into effect from about 5 p.m., is taking effect. “It helps, it’s calming down at the transfer desks.”
The so-called city hoppers will fly back to Amsterdam empty for the rest of the day, passengers will no longer be let on board. The cancellation of about fifty flights a day during the Whitsun weekend, which KLM decided earlier, does not appear to be enough to curb the crowds. KLM attributes this to unforeseen circumstances. “Due to unfavorable weather conditions and runway maintenance at Schiphol, many aircraft were unable to land or depart in Amsterdam,” the company said in a press release.
Stranded passengers
By no longer flying new passengers to Schiphol, KLM hopes to bring as many stranded passengers from Amsterdam to their destination as possible and not to have to cancel more flights on Sunday.
KLM says it will offer an alternative flight to passengers affected by this measure as soon as possible. The question is whether they can leave tomorrow. “We will look further on Sunday,” said a spokeswoman.
Schiphol agrees that delays and flights have been canceled due to the unfavorable wind direction and limited runway capacity. This has a knock-on effect and leads to disruptions, according to an airport spokeswoman. To reduce the crowds in the terminals, since Friday only passengers who depart within four hours are allowed.
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