In Departure Hall 1, queues form far beyond the normal poles with waiting ribbons. Schiphol employees roll out a plastic barrier tape to create an orderly queue.
A desk employee of handling company Viggo in departure hall 1 calls the queues at check-in counters “quite normal” for a Sunday morning. According to him, there are no signs that many people suffer from delays. A Schiphol employee of the control center is standing in front of one of the entrances this weekend to point passengers to the right place for their flight. “You see, it’s busy”, she points around. “But it’s definitely still manageable busy.” She normally sits “in front of the computer” to monitor where the passengers are going and maintains remote contact with security personnel, military police and floor managers. Now she stands in front of one of the entrances to Departure Hall 1 for the opportunity to show passengers the way.
Security guards and staff at the check-in desks also say that the crowds are still manageable.
Two weeks earlier, things went wrong at Schiphol due to an unannounced strike by KLM baggage staff. Many flights were delayed or canceled. Schiphol called on people for a while not to come to the airport anymore. A week later, the airport asked airlines to cancel trips because staff shortages would make it impossible to handle large crowds. Dozens of flights were cancelled.
This weekend, KLM is canceling eight outward and return flights to ensure “the best possible flow for most passengers”. Transavia, TUI and Corendon moved a total of six departing flights to Rotterdam The Hague Airport this weekend.
Due to the crowds, Schiphol has also placed a roof so that people can wait outside before checking in. Bulkheads have been placed between various departure halls to ensure that passenger flows run smoothly.
