Schiphol to close MH17 memorial on Nov. 1

On November 1st Schiphol will close down the space where support messages were left to the victims of flight MH17. The cards, stuffed animals, condolence books, photos and letters will be safely kept until a permanent destination is found for them. An enormous amount of flowers arrived at departure hall 3 after the disaster in the Ukraine on July 17th. In early August the fresh flowers, more than a thousand stuffed animals and other personal belongings were moved to the pedestrian link under the World Trade Center at the airport. This space was named "Reflection MH17" and there the support messages and other belongings were protected from the elements. The public was able to visit Reflection MH17 between 07:00 am and 19:00 pm. The visiting hours were recently shortened to 10:00 am to 14:00 pm, due to the dwindling amount of people visiting the memorial. Schiphol is still considering a permanent memorial for the victims. The airport is currently engaged in consultations with everyone involved, including the relatives and friends of the victims.