Schiphol boss says he was always available, even during absence

Schiphol CEO Dick Benschop has always been reachable and available in recent times when there were major problems at the airport, he said on Sunday on the TV program Buitenhof. He is accused of having often been absent during the crisis at Schiphol. Benschop countered that criticism by saying that, even from a distance, he was always busy solving problems.

De Telegraaf wrote earlier this week that Benschop went on holiday to Portugal with his family during the May holiday. Meanwhile, some travelers missed their flights due to the large crowds at Schiphol. Benschop was also in a boat with family members on King's Day.

"That sounds silly, I realize that very well," he said. The boss of Schiphol said that he had been at home all week with a coronavirus infection and that day "escaped" and was briefly on the boat. "The rest of the day I was available and reachable again," he added.

Benschop returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, earlier than planned on Tuesday, because the queues at Schiphol were longer as usual on Monday. He was in Davos to talk about making aviation more sustainable. Benschop has also been criticized for this. "That kind of criticism, I'm not a cold-blooded person either, of course that's just not fun."

It has been very busy at Schiphol lately. This is partly due to staff shortages in baggage handling and security. Many passengers had to stand in line for hours and some have missed their flight as a result. Benschop admitted in Buitenhof that he was ashamed of the problems. "This is not who we want to be," he said.