Amsterdam Airport Schiphol restricts number of passengers per day also in September and October

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will set a maximum number of passengers per day for the months of September and October as well after consultation with airlines. In September, there will be a maximum of 67,500 local departures per day. On most days in that month, the airport’s capacity is expected to be comparable to the expected supply. The maximum number of local departures will be higher again in October, at 69,500 per day. This period will also include the autumn holidays. Schiphol has informed airlines and travel organisations that in and around the two weeks of the autumn holidays, the expectation is that there will be an average of 3500 too many local departing passengers. 

The purpose of setting a maximum is to ensure the safety of passengers and employees and to create a reliable process at the airport. All efforts are focused on keeping the consequences for travellers to a minimum. Based on the capacity made available by Schiphol, the independent slot coordinator (ACNL) will consult with all airlines to ensure that the number of passengers is appropriate in relation to the security capacity.

More security guards, seasonal effect plays a role

The number of security guards available for deployment continues to increase. It has already been announced that about 200 new security guards will be recruited starting in August, and the expectation is that another 80 will be added starting in October. The deployment of so-called ‘security coaches’ is also helping optimise the flow in the terminal. Nevertheless, the maximum number of passengers per day is slightly lower than in August. This is due to the so-called seasonal effect: travellers use more bins at security control after the summer because they wear more clothes, such as coats, hiking boots and vests. As a result, it takes a little longer to check all the hand baggage and the passengers.

Coping better with operational changes

Sticking to a maximum number of departing passengers also helps cope with operational changes, such as a delayed flight arrival or departure. Virtually all parties at the airport are understaffed, and any unexpected changes can result in delays to the entire airport process at Schiphol. This has been the subject of extensive consultation with airlines in the recent period.

Advice to passengers

The advice to travellers remains to come to Schiphol at the time indicated by the airline, but no more than four hours before the departure of the plane. Travellers who arrive earlier than that will wait unnecessarily long, because check-in counters or baggage drop-off points are not yet open. What’s more, sometimes the queue becomes extra long when travellers queue much earlier. Schiphol has intensified its checks on the four-hour rule since 25 July. More tips for travellers can be found here: Schiphol | Be well prepared for your trip

2 August 2022