Over 20,000 bags left stranded at Schiphol after major failure; Recovery could take days
A malfunction in Schiphol’s baggage system resulted in thousands of bags being left behind at the airport on Wednesday. A Schiphol spokesperson told ANP that around 20,000 bags were left unattended due to the issues at Terminal 2. "We are now mapping out exactly how much time this will take, but it will certainly take several days," the spokesperson said regarding the return of the luggage.
Schiphol has said in a statement that the issue is now resolved. “We apologise for the inconvenience caused to passengers and airlines affected by this disruption. Together with the airlines involved, we are doing everything we can to forward the delayed baggage as quickly as possible.”
Among the luggage were items that were meant to go on board flights. Schiphol has advised any passengers looking for their luggage to contact their airline’s online channels.
Sources have said that the malfunction lasted for hours at the airport. In previous years, major baggage system failures have led to logistics problems that took days or even weeks to fully resolve. A disruption in mid‑2023 resulted in over 10,000 suitcases being stuck at the airport for many days, affecting both transfer passengers and those starting their trips in Amsterdam.
About 275 departing flights and 109 arriving flights also faced delays on Friday, though commercial flights were often running less than 30 minutes behind schedule. Airlines cancelled only four departures and four arrivals from the start of operations through 6 p.m.
Schiphol already expected it to be a busy day for both inbound and outbound passengers. Officially, the two-week winter school holiday began when classrooms emptied out on Friday, but many education organizations look for ways to add an extra day off before the break.
