Amsterdam Schiphol is to limit the number of travellers departing from the airport during July and August, due to a shortfall of security employees.

Schiphol said that it had placed a cap of 67,500 travellers per day for July, rising to 72,500 for August.

The airport added that its outlook for July showed that there were on average 13,500 seats too many relative to security capacity, although it stressed “this does not mean that the same number of travellers will be adversely affected by this measure”, as some seats included in the planning had yet to be sold.

The move follows a similar situation at London’s Gatwick airport, which is limiting flight capacity during July and August, to “allow airlines to fly and manage more predictable and reliable flight programmes for the rest of the peak school summer holiday period”.

Gatwick to limit flight capacity during July and August

Schiphol said that not capping numbers “would mean unmanageable queues and many travellers would miss their flight”, which in turn would lead to unsafe situations for both travellers and staff.

The airport said that demand for air travel following the easing of travel restrictions “is exceeding even the most high expectations”, adding that “at the same time, the labour market is incredibly tight”.

As discussed on our forum, Schiphol recently limited access to its terminal building to passengers scheduled to depart within four hours “to reduce crowding at the check-in desks and security control and to speed up passenger flow”.

Commenting on the news Dick Benschop, CEO of Schiphol, said:

We are taking this measure with an unbelievably heavy heart. Everyone at Schiphol and all our partners want nothing more than to welcome all travellers with open arms, especially after the impact coronavirus has had.

“A lot is possible at Schiphol this summer, but not everything. Setting a limit now means that the large majority of travellers will be able to travel from Schiphol in a safe and responsible way.”

schiphol.com