Schiphol to slash passenger numbers to avoid more summer chaos

Amsterdam’s international hub Schiphol has announced that it is to follow Gatwick’s earlier announcement and slash passenger numbers in an effort to avoid the chaos seen earlier in the year, over the summer months.

The announcement on June 17 said that the airport will cut the number of passengers by 13,500 a day in July and that these restrictions will possibly continue into and throughout August.

Airport Chief Dick Benschop said they were still working on proposed cuts for August and they will make an announcement in two weeks’ time.

Schiphol has suffered problems as a result of a shortage of baggage handlers and security staff, as well as staff in other areas. But it is those two key roles that led to the chaos and at one stage the announcement by KLM that it would halt all flights into and out of the airport over a number of days to try and alleviate the chaos and delays.

Benschop said: ‘This measure will make sure that the majority of passengers can travel from Schiphol safely and with confidence, but there will also be people who cannot fly.”

Dozens to hundreds of flights will be scrapped on the busiest days and the pain will be spread across airlines according to Schiphol’s Operations Director Patricia Vitalis.

She told reporters that: “We are also motivating airlines to use regional airports where there is still space.”

The news that Schiphol will slash passenger numbers is a two-edged sword that has the potential to resolve some of the issues that the airport has faced but will also mean fewer seats, lower revenue for airport operators and possibly higher prices.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.