Schiphol says airport crowds will be manageable this summer

Schiphol Airport said it does not expect the additional time needed to review Covid-19 vaccination status and coronavirus test documentation to cause any major delays this summer.

Checking the documents will require extra work, but this should not cause any significant problems as long as people arrive prepared, a spokesperson from Schiphol said to the ANP. “Make sure you have the correct documents with you. See what else is required per country. And keep in mind that it may take a bit longer”, the Schiphol spokesperson said.

The spokesperson did admit, “The crowds will take some getting used to.”

Ideally, a digital coronavirus passport will be introduced by July 1. However, it has become increasingly difficult for officials to meet that deadline.

As long as there is no digital certification, travelers will have to bring their printed-out vaccination papers or a negative PCR test certificate with them. Airline companies fear the hassle of paper documents will cause chaos to ensue, the Telegraaf reported.

This will not be the case, according to Schiphol. The airport advised travelers to arrive three hours ahead of time for intercontinental flights and two hours prior to departure for flights within Europe.

Schiphol expects trips to peak in August due to people postponing their vacation as far as possible in hopes that coronavirus restrictions will be loosened. The number of travelers is still anticipated to be significantly lower than before the pandemic. Schiphol said they predict around 160 thousand passengers on their busiest days this year. Prior to the crisis, Schiphol processed up to 235 thousand passengers daily during peak seasons.

Schiphol said that they expect to have sufficient staff ready to accommodate any extra measures that need to be taken.