Here we go again. European airports might face another challenge as handling companies do not have enough personnel to accommodate increasing demand during peak holiday seasons. For instance, Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), one of Europe's largest hubs, is unhappy with the number of baggage handlers currently employed. However, a solution to the lack of staff might have been found. Nonetheless, it might not sound ideal to Schiphol's passengers.

Schiphol might charge a €3 suitcase fee to lure new baggage handlers

The summer of 2022 was a bit of a paradox for the aviation industry. On one side, airlines and airports witnessed demand levels increase dramatically after virtually two years of calm caused by pandemic-related travel restrictions. On the other hand, neither airlines nor airports were ready to accommodate such a substantial number of passengers. This condition translated into flight cancellations, delays, and lost baggage. To put it differently, passengers had to face absolute travel chaos.

Demand for air travel has been progressively increasing, and this positive trend is expected to continue also in the following months. So how should airlines and airports prepare to avoid a second wave of chaos during the following peak holiday season? There is no universal answer to this question. Indeed, every airport has its own challenges to face. For instance, Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), one of Europe's largest intercontinental hubs, needs more baggage handlers. The question is, then, how is it possible to lure more of them? Handling companies believe they need to offer higher salaries. However, they also don't have the financial resources to do so. Therefore, passengers might be the solution.

The answer is straightforward: a suitcase charge in the range of €2 ($2.16) to €3 ($3.23) might be applied to passengers transiting through Schiphol. Edwin van der Linden, director of personnel affairs of the handling company Viggo, explained how the suitcase fare would make it possible for airlines to increase their payments to handlers, thus enabling them to improve their salaries. Consequently, van der Linden sustains higher salaries would attract more workforce, which is what the airport needs to avoid disruptions like the ones it witnessed last summer.

The clock is ticking: no time to waste

Although passengers might find the proposal not ideal, the management of Amsterdam Schiphol does not have much time to look for alternatives.

Handling companies at the Dutch hub still need hundreds of workers if they want to successfully face the busy May holiday period and the following summer months. Last Friday, Schiphol's CEO, Ruud Sondag, issued an ultimatum stating that if a solution is not found in the next few weeks, he will have to extend the limit to the daily number of passengers allowed to transit through Schiphol.

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Van der Linden further illustrated why handling companies urgently need to increase their salaries. Notably, companies providing security services at Schiphol airport faced the same lack of workforce as handling companies, and, to fill this gap, they adopted the increased-salary strategy. Consequently, baggage handlers now expect the same kind of treatment. Van der Linden also mentioned an industry-wide collective agreement reached last year, according to which wages at the lower end of the scale will be raised by a quarter over a three-year timespan. However, the pay raise will occur in stages, meaning that, right now, baggage handlers perceive much lower salaries than their colleagues at security checkpoints.

Whatever it takes to avoid another pax cap

It was June when the news was announced that Amsterdam Schiphol had been forced to limit the number of daily passengers amid workforce shortages.

The decision was taken a few days before, on June 4th, when KLM had to cancel all flights from Europe to its hub in Amsterdam, with unpleasant consequences for thousands of passengers and the airline's economics. June 4th was the culmination of weeks of long queues of disrupted passengers whose flights had either suffered long delays or had been canceled amid ongoing staff shortages. At that point, the decision was taken to cap daily passengers at 70,000, i.e., 16% less than what airlines had scheduled for the summer season.

In January, the airport management announced it plans to remove the passenger cap in March, although it already factors in potential disruptions during the rush morning hours. The decision followed a successful recruitment campaign that ensured the airport approximately 420 new security officers, about half the target of 850. Recruitment will continue until March and, if needed, until the security staff shortages are eliminated.

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Source: NL times

• 

  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)