Schiphol holds job fair, more than 1300 visitors expected

Schiphol expects more than 1,300 visitors at the job fair the airport is holding on Saturday to recruit much-needed additional staff. Around 50 employers, including major handling companies such as Swissport and Aviapartner, will attend the event and provide information about vacancies. Those interested in attending the job fair could register in advance.

The stakes are high. During the busy May holidays and summer, Schiphol may still have to limit the number of daily departures. That's because the airport's handling companies are still missing hundreds of employees. If the problem is not solved within a few weeks, Schiphol will have to intervene again, CEO Ruud Sondag announced on Friday.

Last month, Schiphol even hinted that the restrictions would no longer be necessary after March. Such a passenger cap has been in place since July last year. It was introduced due to a shortage of security staff at Schiphol. Starting with the May holidays, this led to long queues that sometimes extended beyond the departure lounge.

In addition to handlers, other operational personnel are also in high demand. Security companies such as G4S and Trigion are also looking on the job market for additional security personnel, and HMSHost, which provides catering services at the airport, is looking to hire catering staff. Cleaning staff, bus drivers and warehouse workers, for example, are also still being sought.