Struggling to prepare for the quick post-Covid quick surge, Schiphol Airport was a distressing experience for thousands of passengers last year. With difficulty in managing the influx of travellers, 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 cancellations and to the suspension of ticket sales by KLM.
The cap was initially supposed to last until the end of 2022, but it was extended to the end of March this year. Now, the airport has announced the cap will still be in place throughout the spring holiday period, until the end of May, although with a slight increase in the allowed daily passenger numbers.
It is disappointing that Schiphol is now forced to limit the number of departing passengers on peak days during the May holiday, albeit on a small scale.
KLM
Schiphol is gradually expanding the number of passengers that can depart from the end of March. The average number of daily departing passengers will increase by 65% from the 40,000 allowed last winter period to 66,000 during the May holiday. On peak days over the Easter period, the number of departing passengers will be well above 70,000, the airport estimates.
The number of passengers that will be able to depart from Schiphol is 14% higher than the number of passengers departing in the May 2022 holiday (58,000 passengers on average) and just below the 2019 pre-covid figures, when an average of 72,000 passengers departed each day.
The airport is however asking for a 5% reduction the available seats during the busy morning period to reduce the risk of unacceptable delays for travellers at check-in, security check and passport control.
“It is disappointing that Schiphol is now forced to limit the number of departing passengers on peak days during the May holiday, albeit on a small scale”, a KLM spokesperson commented on the extended cap. The airline said it does not foresee any cancellations over the holiday period besides the 5% reduction in the number of seats it is allowed to sell over the busiest periods. “It is of the utmost importance that all parties at the airport continue to work on the recruitment of staff, so that travellers can travel with confidence in the long term”, the spokesperson emphasised.
