Schiphol will limit the number of travelers departing from the airport in the morning during the May holidays with a 5 percent restriction. That equates to a few thousand travelers per day. The measure applies from the end of March to mid-May. In the week before Easter, fewer travelers will be able to use the airport all day, a spokesperson tells NU.nl.
According to Schiphol, the morning hours are the peak times at the airport. By setting a passenger limit, the airport wants to reduce the risk of “unacceptable delays for travelers”.
The number of seats that can be booked will be limited. That means there are fewer tickets for sale. In addition, airlines can choose to fly with less full aircraft or cancel flights.
At the beginning of February, Schiphol already announced a possible limitation of the number of travelers during the May holidays. The baggage handlers at the airport are still short of people.
Schiphol CEO Ruud Sondag said last week that the capacity is much higher than a year ago, when the problems due to staff shortages started and many people wanted to travel again after corona.
Companies consider the situation to be ‘reasonably manageable’
The airlines active in the Netherlands – united in BARIN – and the travel industry association ANVR are mild about the new restrictions. They mainly see that progress has been made compared to last year.
According to BARIN chairman Marnix Fruitema, a maximum of five thousand fewer seats can be sold per day and that would be “reasonably manageable”.
