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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)

Unable to keep up with an increasing footfall, Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport has capped the number of passengers this summer due to continuing labor shortage. The move is likely to affect airline revenue and passenger plans during the busy summer season.

Limiting passenger number

The ongoing workforce shortage has forced Schiphol Airport to limit the number of passengers per day to ensure smooth operations during the busy summer travel season. The airport said it would allow around 70,000 passengers daily, about 16% - or 13,500 seats per day - fewer than what airlines had scheduled.

This comes at a time when Schiphol is witnessing a strong rebound in passenger numbers after a two-year lull. In April, the number of commercial flights to and from the airport was 33,421, an increase of 144% compared to 2021.

The airport's CEO, Dick Benschop, spoke at a press conference on Thursday, saying it is not responsible to move forward with the upcoming busy summer season without implementing measures to deal with crowds and staffing problems, adding, "That is why we have decided to intervene now so that people know in time what is going to happen."

But limiting passenger footfall at one of the busiest airports in Europe has consequences. The country's flag carrier, KLM, is not happy with the announcement and feels that Schiphol should be held responsible for the financial impact of the move, saying,

"It cannot be so that the people who use the airport structurally pay for Schiphol's capacity problems."

Dragging on

Schiphol Airport has been facing these problems since April. Chaotic long queues, flight cancelations, and stranded passengers are becoming routine at the airport as it struggles to recruit enough employees across various departments, including security and luggage handlers.

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With Schiphol as its primary hub, KLM, too, has been at the receiving end of the problem at the airport. In May, the airline had to suspend some ticket sales for a few days due to the chaos at the airport, and on June 4th, it canceled all flights from Europe to Amsterdam, flying back empty aircraft and leaving many passengers stranded.

Looking at the long queues, the airport also advised departing passengers to arrive at the airport on time, but not too early. They were also asked to check in two hours before a flight within Europe and three hours before an intercontinental flight.

Elsewhere in Europe

The problem isn't unique to Amsterdam or KLM. Demand for travel has rebounded quicker than many had predicted. Thousands of people were laid off during the pandemic, with airports and airlines thinking they'd have enough time to hire back employees with a gradual uptick in passengers.

But the ongoing chaos has caught many airlines in Europe off guard. Lufthansa has canceled around 900 domestic and intra-European flights from Frankfurt and Munich for the following month, including those from its Eurowings subsidiary brands.

Budget carrier easyJet, too, has had to scale back operations, canceling several flights in June so far and making preemptive cancelations for the rest of the month, affecting the plans of many travelers.

When do you think the situation in European airports will improve? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Source: Reuters