Long lines and large crowds during May holiday, Dutch airports warn

Can’t wait for the May holiday? Well, you’re not the only one. Dutch airports are preparing for extreme crowds and warn against extra waiting times, long lines, and possible cancellations.

The advice for travellers? Come on time for your flight and wear sneakers, reports RTL Nieuws. 👟

Staff shortages at airports

The biggest airport in the country, Schiphol, is suffering from staff shortages. “Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many staff members have quit and started doing other work,” the airport’s spokesperson explains to RTL Nieuws.

This is a problem because on very busy days, Schiphol checks in up to 200,000 travellers. Things can get very busy especially during peak times in the morning until 11 AM and between 1 PM and 2 PM.

At the airport in Eindhoven, the situation is no different. “We are also short of hands everywhere, so take into account more waiting times at the security check or the catering industry,” warns the airport’s spokesperson.

The North Brabant airport advises travellers to arrive at least two and a half hours before departure.

Airlines feel it too

The biggest holiday flyer, Transavia, is also suffering from major staff losses due to the pandemic. “We have recently hired five hundred new employees. Not everyone has been trained yet, but we are well on the way,” the airline spokesperson explains.

However, the airline has scaled up its operations as much as possible and is now ready for the busy season.

“In recent weeks we had to cancel some flights. We can never completely rule out cancellations, but we don’t expect a massive outage at all,” the spokesperson says.

The airline recommends that travellers arrive three hours before their flight. “Don’t come extremely early either, because that only creates extra crowds,” they add.

How can I help speed up the process?

There are a couple of things you can do yourself to avoid missing your flight and make sure you fly through security as fast as possible.

These include booking parking spots in advance, checking in online, having your passport ready, not taking things in your luggage that aren’t allowed, and wearing sneakers — not only won’t you have to take them off during the security check, you’ll also be able to run faster to catch your plane. 😉

“We are doing our very best, but we are also dependent on the cooperation of the passengers,” adds the Eindhoven airport spokesperson.

One last thing: don’t forget to bring your mondkapje! 😷 These are still mandatory after security check and when inside the plane.

Popular summer destinations

May holiday in the Netherlands typically marks the start of the summer season — and no wonder. We are all in desperate need of some vitamin D after all the gloomy and rainy days. ☀️

The most popular destinations for travellers to go to are around the Mediterranean, with Turkey being the number one choice this year.

Have you experienced delays or missed flights due to the high number of travellers? Let us know in the comments!

Feature Image:Depositphotos
Jana Vondráčková 🇨🇿
Jana Vondráčková 🇨🇿
Originally from the Czech Republic, Jana moved to the Netherlands for her studies. Seven years in the flattest country in Europe has brought her a Masters in Environmental Management, experience in content creation, projects, partnership coordination, and about 20 ideas on how to deal with Dutch winter blues (most of which didn’t work). Her love for the local cycling culture is undying — but she finally knows better than to hop on a bike in a typical Dutch downpour.

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