Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport has been one of the most affected hubs by the recovery of the aviation sector this year. The lack of staff saw the airport faced with a recurring chaos, regardless of the measures it takes to prevent it.
Endless queues for security check made a lot of people lose their flights, despite getting to the airport in time. The airport decided to compensate those passengers, since it was the airport’s mismanagement that caused them extra costs associated with missed flights. The compensation scheme initially ran until 11 August, but Schiphol has announced the scheme is now extended until 31 October, since waiting times were still long over the past 3 months, despite the daily passenger cap.
Travellers who incurred costs between 12 August and 31 October as a result of missing their flight due to long queues at the security check can submit a compensation claim to the airport until 30 November. Costs covered by the compensation scheme include those incurred due to rebooking a flight or arranging a replacement flight, alternative transportation or additional travel expenses for getting to Schiphol again or to another airport.
Besides asking airlines to limit their flights, the airport has taken additional measures to mitigate the impact of the lack of staff. It has recently blocked its VIP service and is investing around 100 million in measures to help solve the issue of staff shortages, including at the security companies.
A social agreement has been reached in close collaboration with the unions and security companies which includes a labour market supplement. A social package that will significantly improve the terms and conditions of employment for security officers at Schiphol has recently been agreed on. As of November, security officers working at the airport will receive a wage increase of 2.5 euros per hour, in addition to the labour market supplement. Furthermore, their rosters and rest areas are being improved.
Meanwhile, Schiphol is working with the security companies on a structural solution for the shortage of staff. Joint recruitment campaigns will soon be launched, which will see the five security companies operating at Schiphol working closely together to hire more security officers.
