Fire brigade hands out water to people waiting at busy Schiphol

Just like Saturday morning, it is still very busy at Schiphol Airport on Saturday afternoon. There are very long lines outside departure halls 1 and 2, where firefighters hand out water to waiting people.

Departure boards showed 12 flights canceled and 14 delayed by mid-afternoon. The day started on Saturday with long lines at the check-in counters.

According to an airport spokesperson, the crowds are not causing any problems for the time being. Schiphol employees are trying to steer the passenger flows in the right direction and must process many questions from people. Extra office staff are also walking around to help people on their way.

Schiphol already warned on Friday that the airport would be very busy this weekend and asked airlines to cancel flights to relieve the workload among staff. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the airport is suffering from major staff shortages. Many lost their jobs during the pandemic because of fewer flights for nearly two years, and not everyone has returned to their old job. The May holiday, when many people want to travel, has put extra pressure on the current staff.

KLM already announced that it would cancel at least 47 flights for Saturday and Sunday. "There have been no new cancellations added," said a spokesperson.

In addition, some flights from TUI and Corendon have been moved to Rotterdam The Hague Airport for Saturday. With the request to cancel flights, Schiphol wanted to ensure that there would be 3,500 fewer passengers at the airport. That has been "nearly" successful, it was already reported on Friday.