220,000 passengers a day at Schiphol during summer holiday period

On average 220,000 people travel from, to or through Amsterdam Airport Schiphol each day during the summer holiday period (7 July to 2 September). That’s 12.7 million passengers in total, a 2.4% increase on the summer holiday period in 2017. The busiest day will be Monday 30 July, on which 233,000 people are expected to fly. To start your holiday on the right foot, Schiphol has some holiday measures and tips for passengers to ensure they are well prepared for their trip.

Beyond Europe, flights to the United States are proving quite popular. Nigh on 75,000 people head there each and every week. Over 10% more than last summer. Within Europe, the United Kingdom is the most popular, with 26 destinations. As usual, other popular European summer destinations include Spain, Italy and Greece.

Measures at Schiphol
Schiphol and its partners are doing their utmost to ensure that everyone’s trip is as smooth and comfortable as possible. As has been the case during previous holiday periods, the airport is taking a variety of measures, including 20% higher deployment of staff, extra information provision for passengers, and crowd teams to keep all passenger flows on the right track when the airport is at its busiest. In addition, passengers without hand baggage or with very little hand baggage can use a special passageway.

Despite the extra measures, the sheer volume of passengers could mean a longer wait at certain times. Nevertheless, if passengers ensure that they arrive at the time advised by their airline, then the total time they end up spending at Schiphol is often the same as it would be otherwise. The advice is usually to arrive at Schiphol two hours prior to departure for flights within Europe, and three hours prior to departure for intercontinental flights.

Tips for passengers
Schiphol advises passengers to be well prepared for their journey. To this end, Schiphol has a number of tips, including:

• Be on time. This means at the time specified by your airline.

• Bring as little hand baggage as possible, so that the security checks will proceed more swiftly. Furthermore, pay attention to the hand baggage rules as well. Fluids in packs exceeding 100 ml (such as bottles of water) or objects with a sharp point that could be used to inflict serious injury are not allowed to be taken through security, for instance.

• Check the validity of your passport and travel documents at home.

• Factor in possible extra rules and checks by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee when travelling with a minor.

• Keep abreast of current flight information. You can do so through the airline, Schiphol’s website or the Schiphol app.

Passengers can find more tips at https://www.schiphol.nl/en/page/prepare-for-your-flight-at-schiphol/.

One airport, several parties
Schiphol is like a clock. All component parts—check-in, security and passport control—need to be in harmony to ensure a good flow of passengers. Several parties are involved in this. The first is Schiphol itself, which is responsible for infrastructure and the security screening. Next are the airlines, which are responsible for the check-in process. Finally, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee is responsible for border control. Schiphol maintains close contact with these partners.