Schiphol handing out ice cream, Eindhoven Airport fans to waiting passengers

Schiphol is handing out ice cream and water to waiting passengers during the hot weather today and tomorrow. Eindhoven Airport employees are handing out fans to people waiting in the long check-in line on Monday and Tuesday.

In posts on its website and social media, Schiphol also urged travelers to prepare for the heat by bringing water with them and wearing light clothing. The airport also placed fans under the tents for travelers waiting outside.

Schiphol employees will pay extra attention to where queues form. They’ll do their best to have as few travelers as possible waiting outside in the tents or open air, forming extra queues inside if necessary. The airport is monitoring the temperature in various areas. According to a spokesperson, it was possible to let travelers wait outside under the roof on Monday morning. In recent weeks, waiting times have risen to about two hours at times.

“It will also be a hot day in the terminal,” the spokesperson said. The airport is trying to keep the heat out with sun protection and by keeping the door closed as much as possible. The airport also keeps the planes’ taxiways wet to prevent the asphalt from deforming due to the heat.

Handing out fans in Eindhoven Airport’s blue colors is one of the measures the airport is taking against the heat, a spokesperson said on Monday. The airport also placed a long row of canopies to give queuing people shade. There is also a water point where people can get something to drink, said the spokesperson.

The long lines in Eindhoven are mainly caused by staff shortages in security, making checks take longer. To prevent people from missing their plane due to the long waiting times, airport employees are taking people from the queue just before departure by calling out the destination.

Eindhoven is also doing other things to prevent long waiting times leading to missed flights. “Where necessary, we try to postpone the departure for fifteen minutes or a little longer in consultation with the airline. “Normally, we don’t like delays, but we try to get the most out of it within the available stretch.”

Eindhoven airport advised travelers to arrive at the airport three hours before departure. Earlier is not necessary, according to the airport. “It is then not yet possible to check in your luggage or go through the security check,” the airport said on its website.

Wish me luck. #eindhovenairport pic.twitter.com/GznIZySmgV

— MirjamN (@MirjamN) July 18, 2022