After problems with handling, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will reduce passenger capacity by 18 percent by the end of October.
The German aviation portal Airliners reports that the airlines are now discussing the cancellation of flights. So far, there was a limit of 67.500 daily departing passengers in September and 69.500 in October. The new limit is 54.500 in September and 57.000 in October. The reason given by the airport was that the companies responsible for security checks had fewer staff than promised.
Because of the handling chaos, the airport manager has already resigned. Like other airports in Europe, the airport in the Dutch capital has been struggling with a shortage of ground staff for months. So companies have often been asked to cancel flights. At the beginning of the week, there were again very long waiting times for passengers, who stood in queues far in front of the terminal building.
The Dutch airline KLM reacted disappointed to the short-term steps. "These measures have far-reaching consequences for our passengers, colleagues and the national and international reputation of Schiphol and therefore also of KLM," it said in a statement. KLM is doing everything it can to ensure that passengers who have already booked a ticket can also travel. "We expect order to be put in place quickly and appropriately at the airport so that passengers and airlines know where they stand, including in the longer term."