Lines at Schiphol passport controls due to sick Marechaussee officers

Arriving travelers at Schiphol will have to deal with long lines for passport controls on Saturday. These are caused by understaffing at the Marechaussee, including sick reports as a result of coronavirus. According to a spokesperson for the Marechaussee, the problem was greatest in the early shift at the airport and the shortages are becoming smaller during the day.

On Twitter, several travelers complain that they had to wait a long time before they could go through passport control and collect their luggage. Several photos show long lines meandering through the duty-free shopping area.

The spokesperson for the Marechaussee could not say how long the waiting time is. "It is a very busy day and we are doing our best to handle the flow of travelers with fewer people," he said. "But we make no concessions to safety."

Due to the problems at passport control, the baggage halls at the airport are also busy, a Schiphol spokesperson said. For departing travelers, the crowds are smaller on Saturday. The airport states that the waiting time for security is approximately one hour.

In recent months, a shortage of security personnel regularly caused a lot of crowds at Schiphol. The airport decided to set maximum passenger numbers since July and recently extended those limits through March. The chaos at the airport also led to the departure of CEO Dick Benschop.