Schiphol expects long queues to continue due to new security setup
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By Simone Jacobs
After Schiphol Airport adjusted its security structure on Monday, hundreds of travellers missed their flights due to hours-long queues. The Dutch airport has advised travellers to arrive early for their flights, as long queues are again expected for security.
Security shake-up causes chaos at Schiphol
On Monday, May 18, Schiphol Airport switched security companies, using three instead of five. With stakes in each of the companies, the move was supposed to give the airport more control over security.
Many of the almost 5.000 security workers at the Dutch airport were therefore moved to a new employer, reports NOS. This caused chaos on the first day of the new structure, resulting in long queues for travellers, with hundreds missing their flights.
According to Schiphol, a “difficult start-up” of the new security structure and a “combination of circumstances, particularly due to unexpected understaffing of security personnel and ICT problems in the morning” are behind delays for travellers.
Several airport employees had trouble obtaining their new passes and were ultimately late for their shifts and many workers also called in sick due to the impact of the transition. According to board member of the FNV trade union Serda Karabulut, security workers fear that their requests for vacation and sick leave will be rejected under the new setup and ambiguous work schedules will negatively affect them in other ways.
Long waiting times continue at Schiphol security
While the usual waiting times for security at the airport in Amsterdam are around 10 minutes, some travellers spent more than an hour waiting on Monday. Queues even stretched past the check-in counters.
By 7pm, waiting times had decreased to around 30 minutes. Despite this, Schiphol has warned travellers to expect long queues for security on Tuesday, May 19, and advises arriving at least two hours before a European flight and three hours before intercontinental flights.
An airport spokesperson told RTL Nieuws that the airport finds the situation “unfortunate”. Extra staff will be deployed and water will be provided for travellers waiting in line.
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training.Read more