If you thought the great Schiphol chaos of 2022 (hours-long queues, missed flights, and passengers crying) was not going to happen again, sorry, but insiders are warning it could.
Speaking with De Telegraaf, insiders say that the May and summer holidays of 2026 are shaping up to be even messier.
So, be ready to dust off your camping chair or avoid planning a holiday in May.
The perfect storm: courtrooms, contracts, and chaos
A person involved tells De Telegraaf that “The lines are going to be worse than in the horror summer of 2022, when hundreds of thousands of passengers missed their flights because Schiphol was short-staffed. The lines stretched all the way to the control tower.”
“The same thing is happening now, due to Schiphol’s own stupidity. And who will suffer? The passengers.”
But what’s causing this? At the heart of the crisis is a legal tug-of-war over Schiphol’s €1.5 to €2 billion security contract.
Two long-time security companies lost out after decades of working at the airport, and they’re now dragging Schiphol to court, claiming the selection process wasn’t fair.
While the judges figure it out, the newly hired security companies can’t start preparing.
The result? Recruitment is frozen when it should already be in full swing.
Even if things magically cleared up tomorrow, thousands of existing security workers need to be re-approved before they can start under the new companies.
No help from the old guard
You’d think the current contractors might step in to cover the gap. Not so. After being rejected, they are, understandably, refusing to extend their services.
So, Schiphol is essentially standing in front of millions of travellers with nothing in hand but a smile, saying, “Don’t worry, it’s gonna be alright.”
@dutchreview Training for a marathon without knowing, thanks @Schiphol Airport AMS #dutchtok #netherlands #fy #fyp #dutchreview #livingnl #holland #schiphol ♬ original sound – The Flying Welshman
Schiphol, of course, insists everything will be fine. “We are confident that the selected parties can handle this responsibility,” a spokesperson says in a reaction.
“We won’t comment on individual companies, but naturally we will only select parties that meet all the requirements and that we are convinced can guarantee continuity and quality.”
Are your 2026 holiday plans steering towards a road trip? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Schiphol is an absolute mess – Avoid this expensive so-called ‘airport’ at all costs.
We were forced to endure their incompetence and chaos yesterday, arriving on an international flight from abroad. Had we known the level of incompetence, chaos and confusion facing us (and the hundreds of other travellers arriving from abroad) we would have used Brussels, Frankfurt or Munich airports).
Never again!