Schiphol expecting a busy May holiday

Schiphol is expecting holiday crowds during the May break, which officially begins on 30 April. The airport is helping travellers to be as well-prepared as possible for their journey. In addition to the Schiphol app, a webpage containing a variety of tips and information about current and expected crowd levels has been launched. A rise in traveller numbers combined with labour shortages means that travellers should expect longer waiting times than usual. 

In the period from 23 April to 8 May, around 174,000 travellers will travel to, from or via Schiphol each day. Although passenger numbers are still around 17% lower compared to 2019, crowd levels will not be lower than three years ago.

Personal itinerary at your fingertips 

On schiphol.nl/holiday and on the Schiphol app, travellers can find information about their travel day, current crowd levels at the security filters and lots of tips, such as: 

• Arrive at the airport on time, but not too early. In general, you should check in 2 hours before a flight within Europe and 3 hours before an intercontinental flight. These times may be deviated from, so please check the latest times with your airline. If you arrive too early, the check-in desks might still be closed.  
• If possible, check in for your flight online before you come to the airport. Then, you'll only have to drop off your baggage when you arrive.  
• Travellers flying with KLM, Transavia or TUI can drop their baggage off and check in at the P3 car park.  
• Sail through the security check! Schiphol has smart 3D CT scanners, meaning you don't have to take your electronics and liquids out of your bag. 
• Check the validity of your passport, ID card and other travel documents in advance. Many destinations still require COVID-19 documentation – check what you need on netherlandsworldwide.nl.  
• Keep in mind that the Royal Dutch Marechaussee can carry out extra checks and that there are extra rules when travelling with a minor. 

Peak times 

Schiphol expects there to be many departing travellers between 07:00 and 10:00 in the morning especially. A peak is also expected at 14:00 in the afternoon. It can be very busy at the airport during these peak moments. We advise travellers to take longer waiting times and queues into account when travelling at these times. 

Together with our partners, we do our best to ensure that travellers have the smoothest journey possible through the airport. Unfortunately, labour market shortages mean that there are also staff shortages at Dutch airports and throughout the sector.