Schiphol Airport expects surge in autumn holiday travelers this year

Schiphol Airport expects handling approximately 3.3 million passengers during the autumn holiday season, which started on Friday and will last until October 29. This represents a 25 percent increase compared to last year's autumn break. On peak days, the airport noted that over 70,000 passengers will be departing.

The school autumn holidays and started on Friday in the southern (Regio Zuid) and central regions (Regio Midden) of the Netherlands. It will start next Friday for the northern regions (Regio Noord).

Popular destinations based on Schiphol's data include European cities like London, Barcelona, Dublin, and Madrid. Travel company Sunweb also reported that Dutch travelers are keen to catch some sun this year. Bookings for the autumn holiday, since the end of August, have surged by over 50 percent compared to the same period last year.

The travel agency also witnessed a significant spike in last-minute flight vacations, doubling from the previous year. As a result, availability for the first week of the autumn holiday is nearly exhausted. Favorite destinations such as Rhodes, Mallorca, Ibiza, Lanzarote, and Egypt are almost fully booked. For other sunny autumn destinations like Crete and Chalkidiki, Gran Canaria, the Algarve, and the Turkish Riviera, Sunweb said that only a few spots remain available during the second week of the break.

Schiphol Airport advises travelers to come well-prepared and think about what they wear. Even though the autumn season has begun, it is wise for travelers to wear clothes that will enable a smooth passage through security checks.

In September, Schiphol removed the tent installed outside departure hall 1 last year. The tent, which stretched several meters long, was set up to shelter travelers due to frequent queues extending outside the departure hall during the peak season of 2022, largely attributed to staffing shortages. It is now deemed unnecessary as passengers can move more swiftly through check-in counters and security checks.