Schiphol asked army for help twice during summer chaos

Schiphol called on the army twice over the summer to assist with crowds caused by understaffing of security personnel at the airport. The Hague did not respond to either request, according to De Telegraaf.

Documents obtained by De Telegraaf show that Schiphol asked for army assistance in June and September. While the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management was not against the idea, the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Justice and Security were not sympathetic to the plan.

"After all, deploying military personnel would serve the commercial interest of Schiphol first and foremost," the ministries observed, according to the NOS. It was decided that the army was not meant to help commercial parties, as it could set a precedent, the NOS reports.

Schiphol said it did not make the information public in order to avoid offending other parties, according to De Telegraaf. "We needed trained people," a spokesperson told the NOS. "That's what soldiers are. Of course we never know what effect it would have had, because it has also not become clear how many people could possibly have been deployed."

The airport's struggle to retain security staff is not over yet, a new survey indicates. According to trade union CNV Vakmensen, over a third of Schiphol's security workers would like a new job. They are tired of the workload and aggression from passengers.