Longer lines at Schiphol expected due to the autumn holidays and coronavirus

Airline passengers should expect very long lines at Schiphol Airport during the coming autumn holidays. The staff shortages are far from being solved, while it will simultaneously become busier at the airport from Saturday, according to the FNV trade union. The rising coronavirus figures is also likely to cause an increase in absent staff on top of the ongoing staff shortages.

"I feel sorry for people who have chosen to fly. I expect many tense travelers who have to wait for a long time," said FNV campaign manager Joost van Doesburg. "The absenteeism has been very high for months due to the high workload. Security guards come into contact with travelers a lot, so coronavirus is now mixed in,” he continued.

”There will be rough days for the staff at Schiphol," said Van Doesburg about the autumn holiday. The October school vacation period starts Saturday in the northern region of the Netherlands, which includes Amsterdam. The one-week break begins for the rest of the country on 22 October.

The FNV campaign manager saw excessively long queues again on Monday Monday, which, according to him, will also be the case during the autumn holidays. "There will be queues similar to a very busy Monday, and maybe even worse, for a few days in a row. That will lead to hours in the queue. I advise everyone to get to the airport as much in advance as possible,” Van Doesburg said.

Passengers are allowed to enter departure halls no more than four hours in advance. It may not always be necessary to arrive so early, but a spokesperson confirmed that more passengers are traveling during the autumn holidays, and that there will be queues at peak times. There is no specific expectation, because the crowds differ per day and time, he said.

"We are deploying all available capacity, but travelers must certainly take into account queues for security checks. And other parties such as baggage handlers also do not have enough staff, so passengers must prepare well."

According to Schiphol, the previously imposed maximum numbers of passengers accounts for the crowds during the autumn holidays, as well as absenteeism due to illness. "That will help us keep the lines manageable. But if the coronavirus infections increase in the country, we will eventually see that at the airport as well."