Due to the large numbers of passengers and a persistent shortage of staff, the airport is already warning of problems on Saturday and Sunday.
194,000 passengers are expected on Sunday, hardly less on Saturday. Because many travelers return from vacation, a delay at the baggage claim is expected due to the shortage of staff. But above all, it threatens to get out of hand again in the departure halls. There, the airport has a 20 percent shortage of security personnel at security checkpoints. In addition, there is a shortage of employees who accompany travelers in the terminals.
The airport says it will have to take drastic measures on Saturday and Sunday. Whether that means that the airport will again ask airlines to cancel flights so that nine thousand fewer passengers travel through Schiphol every day, is still being investigated. It is also being examined whether it is possible to move flights again to Rotterdam, Eindhoven and Groningen. This happened several times last weekend.
Cancellations
According to chairman Marnix Fruitema of Barin, the trade association of airlines, there can be no more cancellations. “The airport has failed to take measures in time. The airlines now have to pay for this by canceling flights, stopping taking bookings and rebooking passengers.”
KLM, the largest user of Schiphol, does not rule out in advance that flights will be canceled again. “We have received the request,” said a KLM spokesperson. “We are waiting for Schiphol to provide us with more information before making a decision.”
The airlines will speak to the airport board tomorrow about the crowding crisis. “I would like to hear from Schiphol about their concrete measures to solve this,” says Fruitema. “As far as we’re concerned, that means no canceling flights or moving them to other airports. These must be measures to prevent it from happening again. They need to deploy more people in security. Let them pay for that. This is an embarrassment. Other airports also have these problems, but it is only at Schiphol that things get out of hand.”
The airlines are preparing a claim for damages, because they have to pay for the reception of delayed and stranded travelers. “That can run into the millions,” says Fruitema. “We also want Schiphol to reverse the 9% rate increase that was implemented at the beginning of April. It is of course extremely painful that we have to pay more to Schiphol and at the same time have to cancel flights.”
KLM does not want to talk about claims yet. “This is going to be another busy week,” the spokesperson said. “That is our focus first. But we will certainly discuss this state of affairs with Schiphol afterwards.”
Shortage is too big
According to Schiphol, action was taken in time. “We already started recruiting staff in January 2021,” says head of security Hedzer Komduur. “But the shortage of staff is just too great. A restaurant then says: I will close for a day. We can’t do that. We have to keep running, with fewer people.”
Komtijd also contradicts the trade unions’ accusations that Schiphol staff pays poorly for heavy, irregular work. “In security, people are paid well in accordance with the applicable collective labor agreements, especially with allowances for irregular work. Together with the security companies and the unions, we look at what it takes to get those people anyway. And we are already replacing temporary staff with permanent people.”
According to Schiphol’s operational director Patricia Vitalis, the airport has not been sleeping after crowding problems have surfaced over the past eight years. “It’s different every time. Now we are faced with staff shortages, especially in security. Last year we had shortfalls in handling, previously at the Marechaussee. It was busier in 2018 because airlines are deploying larger aircraft.”
“There will also be crowds in the future. Waiting, queues and crowds have always been part of flying. It’s really not just us. People should realize that when the whole of the Netherlands goes on holiday, it also gets really busy with us, just like Black Saturday on the road. If you have the opportunity, don’t fly on weekends and don’t fly during school holidays.”
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