As Schiphol continues to face a serious shortage of security personnel, the airport’s new chief has promised travellers that they won’t have to worry about their holiday plans over Christmas, as operations at the airport will be running smoothly.

Biggest Dutch airport preparing for a busy holiday season

After the chaotic scenes seen at Schiphol airport throughout 2022, it's unsurprising that many will be feeling worried about their travel plans over the upcoming Christmas holidays. The past several months have seen a high number of passengers miss their flights as a result of long queues at check-in and security, or lose their belongings as a result of backlogs in baggage handling.

As some international schools have already broken up for Christmas, and Dutch schools will be closing their doors next Friday, the airport is likely to see another spike in passenger numbers over the coming weeks, with December 17 and 18, and January 3 expected to be especially busy.

Travellers told queues at Schiphol won't be too long this Christmas

While the airport continues to face a serious shortage of workers, specifically in security, Schiphol’s temporary boss Ruud Sondag has reassured travellers that the airport will be running smoothly throughout the school holidays. 

"I dare to give that guarantee," Sondag told NU in an interview, assuring travellers that, even on the busiest days, they won’t have to arrive at the airport more than two or three hours before their departure time, depending on their final destination.