Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport will continue to limit the passenger capacity at least for another six months as it struggles to recruit enough security guards and other frontline workers to deal with the passenger rush.
At the beginning of September, Schiphol Airport placed a 20% capacity cap on passenger intake, however as staff shortage continues, the airport has decided to extend the passenger caps further. Schiphol will continue to operate at reduced capacity in the coming months.
This decision comes just weeks after Schiphol Airport CEO, Dick Benschop, resigned citing the reasons for the mismanagement as a shortage of the workforce leading to long queues, flight cancellations, and passenger chaos. The airport had failed to rehire staff who had been sacked during the pandemic, but the company promised to turn the situation around quickly.
Schiphol will reduce the maximum number of departing passengers by around 9,250 passengers, or 18%, per day, the airport said. The new daily cap was 54,500 passengers per day in September 2022 and will be up to 57,000 per day in October 2022.
The airport management added that, during holiday weeks, it will allow an average of 50,000 passengers per day. Schiphol Group COO, Hanne Buis, said: “This decision first and foremost is bad news for passengers and for airlines. Nevertheless, the decision taken is necessary with the safety of passengers and employees in mind."
The airport admitted that the new restrictions are being imposed to cope with a security guard shortage.
During July and August, employees received an extra of €5.25 allowance per hour. Now that the bonus period is over, staff are quitting in droves, claimed union Joost van Doesburg, a representative for the Netherlands Trade Union confederation.
At the start of September 2022, Schiphol had asked local airlines to cancel some of the flights to avoid overcrowding. “We want to ensure the safety of employees and travelers, in addition to providing a more reliable airport process,” Buis concluded