Maximum number of travellers at Schiphol higher in August
In August, a maximum of 73,000 passengers can depart from Schiphol each day. That number is higher than in July. Schiphol has informed airlines and travel organisations that there are around 1,000 locally departing passengers too many each day in the first week of August, relative to the capacity at security. In July, that figure was around 13,500 per day. Throughout the rest of August, the predicted number of locally departing passengers will not have to be lowered. This is because the airport's capacity in that period is comparable to expected volumes.
This procedure has now been started earlier on request of and in consultation with the airlines. This means that the airlines can plan ahead of time and inform their passengers. The experience in July, in which the number of locally departing passengers had to be reduced more sharply, shows that the airlines managed to do that adequately. That gives us confidence for the month of August, provided there are no new coronavirus waves.
All efforts are focused on keeping the consequences for travellers to a minimum. For July, most airlines and travel organisations have indicated that, after making some adjustments, the large majority of passengers will be able to go on holiday. We are grateful for the tremendous effort, by partners, passengers and our colleagues, that was needed to make this happen. The measures in our action plan enable us to increase capacity in August. As a result, the impact of the limit set on the number of passengers in that period is expected to be minimal.
The forecasts for the first week of August indicate that there are around 1,000 locally departing passengers too many relative to security capacity. Some of the seats accounted for in the schedule have not yet been sold. Based on the capacity made available by Schiphol, the independent slot coordinator will consult with all airlines to adjust the number of passengers in the first week of August in relation to the security capacity.
Schiphol’s Action Plan
Schiphol continuously strives for a safe, predictable and pleasant experience at the airport for both travellers and employees. In recent weeks, Schiphol has worked along four lines of action to manage the expected summer crowds. This includes making Schiphol an attractive place to work. The joint agreement that was recently reached plays an important role in that. In addition, Schiphol continues to work with security companies to fill the number of vacancies. The deployment of so-called ‘security coaches’ will help to optimise the flow in the terminal.