The interim CEO recognized the failure of Schiphol’s management to properly accommodate the strong rebound in passenger traffic.
1. Distressing experience
Not duly prepared to face a quick surge post-Covid, last year Schiphol Airport was a distressing experience for thousands of passengers. A lot of travelers ended up missing flights, and some airlines not heavily dependent on connectivity moved their Amsterdam operations to smaller airports in the vicinity. With difficulty in managing the influx of travelers, Schiphol blocked new sign-ups to its priority pass and lounge access Premium program, and has still not opened it up for new members. It also introduced a daily passenger cap, leading to plenty of cancelations and to the suspension of ticket sales by KLM.
Never before in Schiphol’s history have we disappointed so many travellers and airlines as in 2022.
Ruud Sondag, CEO at Royal Schiphol Group
“Never before in Schiphol’s history have we disappointed so many travellers and airlines as in 2022. Our efforts and hard work did not lead to the necessary improvements in the system and, as a result, we were not able to provide the service we wanted,” regretted interim CEO Ruud Sondag when announcing the company’s financial results.
2. Recognition of failure
Ruud Sondag was named the interim CEO of the Royal Schiphol Group as of November 1, 2022, after Dick Benshop, who had held the position since 2018, announced his resignation, following months of chaos and disruption.
2022 will therefore go down as a bad chapter in our own history books. But it is also a chapter we will not forget, so that all new chapters we write will be better.
Ruud Sondag, CEO at Royal Schiphol Group
A permanent successor to take over when Sondag is supposed to vacate the role at the end of summer 2023 is yet to be determined.
3. Direct connectivity
Despite the havoc, Schiphol maintained its position as Europe’s top spot for direct connectivity, according to the ACI connectivity report 2022, with 313 direct destinations, 129 of which were intercontinental. The airport saw 397,646 air transport movements, an increase of 49% relative to 2021. The total number of passengers rose by 110% to 60.8 million.
