Airlines cancel over 100 flights daily from Amsterdam Schiphol as restrictions are set to cut over 13,500 seats daily

As the staffing shortages continue at airports all over Europe, Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport has been facing hours-long waits at security, baggage claim, and passport control. The airport has announced slot restrictions to cut over 13,500 seats (about 100 flights) daily from the airport as a response; this has left airlines with less capacity than expected for the record summer travel demand following the COVID-19 pandemic. KLM, whose central hub is Schiphol, has already said it will hold the airport responsible for any financial impacts. It has strongly criticized the airport for its staffing shortages resulting in a limited capacity. Many flights have also been diverted to nearby airports such as Rotterdam, Eindhoven, and Brussels.

Important to note is Amsterdam Schiphol is not the only airport in Europe currently facing disruptions; it is part of a much larger crisis currently facing Europe. London’s Heathrow International Airport has also been facing disruptions, though not as severe, with slots only restricting 11,000 seats daily; in Paris, over 10,000 seats were set to be cut daily before the airport’s operator, ADP, worked out a deal with the worker’s union.