Long lines at Schiphol on Saturday; No departure scheme for Benschop

Schiphol expects lines of passengers to extend outside the departure halls again on Saturday. The airport has been busy in recent days due to staff shortages at the security checkpoint.

Travelers who have to wait outside can stand under canopies. According to a spokesperson, most travelers are still inside and a handful of people are waiting under the tent that Schiphol placed earlier this year because of the long queues outside. "

A Schiphol spokesperson says it is very busy at the airport on Saturday, but still manageable. "It is expected that more people will have to be outside towards the peak. We can also provide people with umbrellas if necessary. But we try to have people take place under the roof as much as possible."

KLM announced earlier that it had canceled 34 flights on Saturday, possibly with more to come on Sunday and Monday. This was at Schiphol's request, as the airport could not handle the crowds. Transavia also canceled two flights.

Travel organization TUI cannot yet say what the additional restrictions at Schiphol will mean for its flights from the airport. The tourist group, which has its own airline, wants to prevent cancellations by moving flights to other airports. EasyJet reports that all flights are currently departing according to schedule. The budget airline warns travelers to get to Schiphol on time because of the long waiting times and advises to keep an eye on the current travel information.

Last Monday there was a lot of crowds at Schiphol due to the tight staffing at security. Due to the crowds, thousands of people had to queue and some also missed their flight. Since the spring, Schiphol has regularly been the scene of chaotic scenes due to staff shortages. CEO Dick Benschop announced on Thursday he would step down as head of Schiphol.

Schiphol has not agreed a departure arrangement with Benschop. Because he chose not to complete his second term, the outgoing CEO cannot claim financial compensation, a spokesperson confirmed to Het Financieele Dagblad.

In 2021, Benschop received a salary of 585,284 euros, including pension contributions. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the financial support that Schiphol received from the government for the continued payment of wages, board members did not receive any bonuses. Usually bonuses can amount to a maximum of 20 percent of the fixed annual salary, which at Benschop last year was just under 444,000 euros.