Crowds at Schiphol Airport expected as summer school holidays get underway

Schiphol Airport is expecting crowds as the result of the start of the summer school holidays. The holiday period begins on Friday for the central region of the country, which will be a "peak day" for the number of departing passengers. Peak levels are expected throughout the weekend, with the busiest days bringing the average number of departing passengers to well over 77,000 per day.

To alleviate the crowds somewhat, Schiphol has asked travelers to prepare well for their flight. This includes being aware of check-in times and the expected crowds at the security check. The airport prefers to see holidaymakers check in online. A few days ahead of departure, they can also reserve a time slot for free granting access to the security checkpoint at a specific moment.

Schiphol previously warned that passengers should also take into account extra crowds due to the aftermath of Storm Poly. Due to strong wind gusts of 100 to 120 kilometers per hour, rain and poor visibility, aircraft could hardly land or take off for several hours on Wednesday. As a result, more than four hundred flights were canceled at the airport, forcing airlines to rebook affected passengers.

Last year, Schiphol forced airlines to limit the number of departing passengers. This was partly due to a shortage of security guards, which led to long queues in the departure hall. Since then, the airport has attracted about a thousand new security guards. Partly because of this, the airport said about 90 percent of travelers during the April and May holidays were able to pass through the security check within five to ten minutes.

Earlier this week, Schiphol Operations Director Patricia Vitalis indicated that she has confidence in the coming summer season. The airport is "really in good shape now," she said. Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Eindhoven Airport, Maastricht Aachen Airport and Groningen Airport Eelde have also indicated that they are ready for the summer crowds. They also do not expect any problems, saying they have scheduled enough staff to handle the holiday period.

Eindhoven Airport expects an average of 63 departing and 63 incoming flights per day in July. In total, the second largest airport in the Netherlands expects to handle more than 651,000 passengers this month. That is more than in June when Eindhoven Airport had just under 634,000 passengers.

The summer holidays start for the southern region, where Eindhoven is located, on July 14. Eindhoven Airport also advises departing passengers to reserve a free time slot for security in advance.