Schiphol expects peak travel day as fall vacation begins

Long queues formed at the Schiphol airport on Saturday morning as the fall holidays started in large parts of the Netherlands. The airport warned travelers of a peak travel day.

Departure hall two at the Schiphol airport was packed with travelers waiting to check-in their luggage. Luggage trolleys provided some distance between various groups but usually less than 1.5 meters. It is not mandatory to keep social distance at the airport, although the official advice is to do whenever possible.

Man travelers in the departure halls chose to wear a mask, although face masks are only obligatory after scanning the boarding pass.

Saturday’s crowds can be compared to the busiest days of last summer, a Schiphol spokesperson said. She said the situation is still manageable. “Fortunately, the atmosphere is good, people are happy to go on vacation.”

Schiphol expected around two million travelers during the fall vacation. That would be nearly three times more travelers than in 2020 when coronavirus restrictions were still heavier. The European coronavirus pass has since facilitated air travel.

The number of travelers has still not returned to the same heights as before the pandemic. During the fall vacation of 2019, three million passengers were counted at Schiphol.

Travel organization TUI said that this week had been busier for them than prior to the pandemic. TUI said they had more bookings this year than two years ago. A TUI spokesperson said this could be because people want to catch up on their summer vacation.