Overcrowded Schiphol to extend passenger compensation

Amsterdam’s queue-hit Schiphol airport said Monday it was extending compensation for travellers who missed flights, as long waiting times continued at one of Europe’s biggest air hubs.

Due to severe staff shortages after laying off thousands during the Covid pandemic, passengers at Schiphol have been confronted with huge lines sometimes lasting hours, as air travel and traveller numbers bounced back.

“The compensation scheme now applies to the period from 12 August to 31 October,” the airport operator Royal Schiphol Group said in a statement.

The airport’s original scheme ran across the summer until August 11.

“Schiphol is doing this because queues were still very long on some days during that period due to a shortage of security staff,” the group said.

Passengers now have until November 30 to submit their claims, which will cover costs due to rebooking a flight, arranging a replacement flight, alternative transportation or additional travel expenses, the airport said.

“Schiphol implemented this compensation scheme in the summer because travellers had nowhere to go in order to claim these costs back.”

“Schiphol feels responsible for this group of travellers,” the statement added.

The beleaguered airport, which in 2019 saw some almost 72 million passengers pass through its gates, has been taking steps to try and fix the operational pain points.

In September it announced it was cutting passenger numbers by more than 9,000 per day.

Shortly afterwards, a new chief executive was appointed to manage the airport.

Schiphol also said it was investing around 100 million euros (dollars) in measures to help solve the issue of staff shortages, including at the security companies.