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  Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  AMS/EHAM

  Country:

  Netherlands

  CEO:

  Ruud Sondag

  Passenger Count :

  20,887,144 (2020)

  Runways :

  18R/36L 'Polderbaan' - 3,800m (12,467ft) | 06/24 'Kaagbaan' - 3,500m (11,483ft) | 09/27 'Buitenveldertbaan' - 3,453m (11,329ft) | 18L/36R 'Aalsmeerbaan' - 3,400m (11,155ft) | 18C/36C 'Zwanenburgbaan' - 3,300m (10,827ft) | 04/22 'Oostbaan' - 2,014m (6,608ft)

Airlines operating out of the Netherland’s Schiphol airport are seeking to have flights transferred to neighboring airports after the site has faced significant disruption. Rotterdam, The Hague Airport, has received an official request from several airlines to transfer some operations to the airport, according to NL Times.

Airlines jump ship

Schiphol Airport has been severely affected in recent months by staff shortages which have coincided with a surge in travel demand. Reallocating flights from the airport to neighboring regional ones is a quick fix that could help ease the pressure.

A spokesperson from The Hague Airport is quoted as saying that the airport could take “at most a few flights a day.” They went on to say,

“The possibilities we have are limited, both in terms of noise standards and in terms of staffing.”

Neighboring airport Groningen Airport Eelde’s director has also said that the airport could accommodate up to 20 flights per day if it were given enough warning and time to prepare. The transfer of services could help reduce travel disruption over the busy summer season.

Schiphol seeing a strong rebound

Schiphol Airport has seen a significant rebound in passenger numbers in the run-up to this summer after more than two years of low demand caused by the pandemic. Over four million passengers flew to, from, or via Schiphol in April 2022. In April 2021, that number was almost 0.8 million; in April 2020, it was 100,000. Despite its strong performance, that number still lags behind the 6.1 million the airport served during the same period in 2019.

The number of commercial flights to and from Schiphol was 33,421, an increase of 144% compared to 2021. The number of cargo flights was 1,467, down 29% compared to 2021, but still 31% higher when compared to 2019. During the May holiday of 2022, 2.6 million passengers traveled to, from, or via Schiphol.

Last week KLM announced that it was temporarily halting the sale of tickets for flights that will depart from Schiphol in the upcoming days. The airline announced the measure because of the large crowds at its home base airport, the second-largest in the European Union.

The airport also unveiled a plan to help tackle summer delays and crowds. The plan consists of four points: Recruiting more employees such as security guards, making Schiphol more attractive as a workplace, optimizing the flow of passengers, and making agreements with airlines about flight planning which will result in a reduction in flights.

The airport will focus its efforts on recruiting more security officers. Various recruitment campaigns are underway, and there will be a job fair at Schiphol on 11 June. In addition, a national marketing campaign is being launched to also attract more candidates for janitorial and baggage handling positions.

In April, the airport advised travelers to arrive “at the airport on time, but not too early. In general, you should check in 2 hours before a flight within Europe and 3 hours before an intercontinental flight. These times may be deviated from, so please check the latest times with your airline. If you arrive too early, the check-in desks might still be closed.”

What do you think of the recent situation at Schiphol Airport? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: NL Times