Civil Aviation Resource Network June 17, 2022: According to a Reuters report on June 16, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol on Thursday set a cap on passenger throughput during the summer tourist season, citing labor shortages.
The move means that airlines, including KLM, will have to cancel a considerable number of flights to meet the rule.
Schiphol Airport said it would only accept about 70,000 passengers a day, about 16 percent less than the airline had planned - or 13,500 seats a day. Airport chief executive Dick Benschop said in a statement: "The airport's passenger flow restrictions are set so that the vast majority of passengers will be able to travel from Schiphol in a safe and responsible manner."
KLM said it would hold Schiphol Airport responsible for the financial impact of the move. "People who use the airport cannot be made to pay structurally for the passenger capacity at Schiphol."
Passenger travel has surged as Covid-19 policies are eased around the world, but airports across Europe have suffered from staff shortages. Airlines including Lufthansa and EasyJet have already announced plans to cut flights this summer.
Since April, the normal operation of Schiphol Airport has been greatly affected by the shortage of security personnel and baggage handlers. Hundreds of flights were cancelled, and long queues of passengers were frequent.