Amsterdam Airport throttles back capacity on labor crunch

Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport will limit capacity this summer as long lines caused by a shortage of security staff are expected to persist through the busy holiday months.

Hub operator Royal Schiphol Group NV said the maximum number of passengers it’s able to handle will vary, reaching 67,500 on the busiest days in July and 72,500 in August, with interventions required to avoid “unmanageable queues.”

“Setting a limit now means that the large majority of travelers will be able to travel from Schiphol in a safe and responsible way,” Chief Executive Officer Dirk Benschop said in a statement Thursday.

The Dutch arm of Air France-KLM said Schiphol’s mandatory reduction in passengers is “highly detrimental” and should be a one-off, short-term solution. The airline will comply with the measures by reducing the number of people boarding locally but does not expect to cancel existing bookings on a major scale, it said in a statement responding to the measures.

Disruption isn’t limited to the Netherlands but Schiphol has been among the European airports hardest hit by recent chaos as the aviation industry grapples with the effects of the swingeing job cuts made at the height of the pandemic.

KLM, which is the biggest airline at the hub, was forced to cap the sale of flights there last month in order to create spare capacity for customers who missed their booked departure amid an acute shortage of airport security staff.

Schiphol pledged in May to recruit more workers and optimize passenger flows ahead of the summer months to help reduce waits that have extended to several hours.

Shares of Air France-KLM closed down 6.7% earlier, extending their decline this year to 36%. Royal Schiphol Group is closely held.