We can’t say we are too surprised with this one. Schipol suffered a massive loss last year due to many problems at the airport. In fact, it’s been a historic fail of a year.
Schipol Airport confirms that this year has just not been it. The airport had a rough time in 2022 — suffering a huge loss of €77 million, reports NOS.
With staff shortages, long queues to get to the airport, and airlines having to cancel many flights, it has left many travellers disappointed — and some money haemorrhaging too.
Travellers have been let down, so profits are down
While Schipol Airport did see a strong recovery in passenger numbers, with the number of travellers doubling in 2022 compared to 2021, that number could have been higher without the covid restrictions still in place.
Coronavirus was then followed by a shortage of security workers and Schipol asking airlines to reduce their departing passengers during summer. As a result, many travellers missed their flights due to cancellations or long lines at the airport, which is echt niet leuk.
READ MORE: Here we go again: long lines and missed flights at Schiphol airport
Ruud Sondag, CEO of Schipol, acknowledges this when speaking with the NOS, “Never before in the history of Schipol have we disappointed so many travellers and airlines as in 2022.”
He goes on to say that “the commitment and hard work of everyone at Schipol have not led to the necessary improvements in the system. As a result, we have not been able to provide the service we wanted. 2022 will go down in our history books as a bad chapter.” Yikes!
I used to hate flying because I was scared of being on planes. Now being at airports makes me anxious. Waiting in long lines and wondering if you’re going to catch your flight is massively distressing #schipholchaos #schipol
— Helen 💚🩶💜 (@helen_reinsure) October 10, 2022
What’s next?
While Schipol is not yet sure how changes will continue this year, Sondag states that “in 2022, we will start implementing structural changes. Because we have to do better. And I am convinced that we can.”
In an attempt to solve problems, Schipol wants to limit the number of departing passengers again. This is expected to last up to May due to shortages at baggage handlers.
This means that only about 70,000 passengers can be processed daily, 5% fewer than previously thought.
READ MORE: Dutch airline KLM will NOT be offering cheap flights anymore, CEO warns
In addition, the government will reduce the maximum number of flights at Schipol. In the long term, Schipol will be allowed to handle a maximum of 440,000 flights per year. However, it’s not yet known when that exactly will be.
What do you think about these changes at Schipol? Tell us in the comments below!