Staffing problems and strikes give major traffic challenges at several European airports.
Schiphol in Amsterdam is one of Europe’s busiest airports. If you are going to stop by here on a trip, you have to steel yourself for a queue followed by more queues.
– The queue to get in is one kilometer, but it is moving forward, says music journalist Asbjørn Slettemark to TV 2.
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CANCELLATION AND QUEUE: Music journalist Asbjørn Slettemark had bad luck with the journey home from Belgium. Photo : Rune Blekken / TV 2
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90 minutes in line
Slettemark is on his way home from a metal festival in Belgium on Monday night. However, the airport in Brussels is closed for departure due to nationwide strike, so the flight from there was canceled.
Thus, he ended up in the kilometer-long Schiphol queue.
According to Slettemark, it takes about 90 minutes in line just to get to the airport itself on Monday night.
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On the phone with TV 2 from Amsterdam, he says that he has done away with an hour and 20 minutes in the queue when he glimpses the next queue in front of him; security check.
“It’s very busy in the departure hall. There are long queues at check-in, security and passport control “, it says Schiphol’s website Monday.
They do not state how long the waiting time is at the security check, but Slettemark reckons that he will just catch his plane.
– People have prepared for the queue
Despite the fact that the queues can seem frighteningly long, Slettemark tells about patient travelers.
– There are extremely long queues, but no feeling of chaos. People have been preparing in line. There is almost no sneaking or aggressive atmosphere as there can be at airports when people are stressed, says Slettemark.
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QUEUES: Schiphol Airport has had major capacity problems recently. Photo : Hilde Gran / TV 2
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On Monday, Schiphol urges its passengers not to arrive at the airport more than four hours before the flight departs. According to Slettemark, you are not allowed to line up before this.
– But it looks like there will be enough time. I will probably stand in line for about three hours in total, says Slettemark.
– I have also promised my wife to buy Belgian chocolate, so I have to make it too.
Get through
Later Monday night, Slettemark can report that he is through the security check, and that the final time in the queue was two hours and four minutes.
– People seemed prepared, little stress and resentment in the queue. Minus to Schiphol for little water supply, he writes on Twitter.
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