May have consequences for travelers from Norway – VG
The top manager of one of Europe’s largest airports has been called in on the carpet after passenger chaos – which could have consequences for travelers from Norway.
Since mid-April, Dutch media have been writing almost daily about the chaos at Schiphol. The airport in Amsterdam is one of Europe’s largest and most traveled.
Schiphol has not been able to hire enough security personnel or stay after the corona restrictions, while the number of passengers is increasing rapidly.
Some days the queue is through the security checkpoint over five hours and starts outside the airport. Several have lost flights and host have to skip the holiday altogether.
But 1.5 months into the airport hut, there is no sign of improvement – on the contrary: the queues are getting longer.
“Very dangerous situation”
One week ago, military police had to intervene at the airport as security personnel at the airport would be threatened by passengers who feared they would lose the plane.
The military police refer to it as one “very dangerous situation” which was about to develop into a fight. Passengers must also have threatened to run the prohibited security barriers at the airport.
Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Wopke Hoekstra went out on Monday with travelers not to fight at the airport.
– I understand the frustration of people who have been in line for five hours and therefore may not be allowed to go on holiday at all. But that is never a reason to fight. We must control ourselves, even there, he said The Telegraph.
The Dutch Minister of Transport Mark Harbers has asked the airport director Dick Benschop to clean up immediately and promise higher wages and better working conditions to his employees.
– The message we continuously convey is: “Fix it!”, He says to De Telegraaf.
May have consequences for Norway
The flight chaos at Schiphol and other major airports in Europe can also have consequences for travelers from Oslo Airport or other airports in Norway, in the form of delays in and out of the country.
– This is because there may be ripple effects due to problems at other airports and that traffic over Europe is very heavy, because all flights over Ukraine / Russia have been diverted, says Communications Manager Harald Nygaard Kvam at Oslo Airport.
He informs VG that in June 171 flights are planned from the various airports in Norway to Schiphol. In July, the number is 178.
– Norwegians who are to fly from airports in Europe, especially the major traffic hubs such as Schiphol, should pay close attention to information from their airline, he encourages.
Called in on the carpet
The Dutch state has the largest shareholding in Schiphol. Now it has gone so far that the airport’s director Dick Benschop was called to the carpet in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
He has to answer for himself after the newspaper The Telegraphs revelations that he has traveled abroad several times in recent weeks. Among other things, he was at a gala in Washington, at the World Economic Forum in Davos and cost himself in the boat on National Day along with the family airports closed the doors due to the onslaught.
Last week, Schiphol presented and action plan to deal with the chaos. Well, the Dutch government at Schiphol is required in future to provide weekly reports on measures to deal with the chaos.
Just five days ago, the top manager saw that he had no plans to resign.
“I am exceptionally motivated to solve everything,” Benschop told the ANP news agency.
Problems in several places
Arlanda Airport in Sweden is struggling with long queues and staff shortages. In Copenhagen Kastrup, there have also been long queues.
In the UK, Heathrow and Stansted in London report long queues at passport control.
On Tuesday, travel company TUI canceled several flights from Manchester airport in June. Both EasyJet and British Airways fly every single day, according to Sky News.
The UK Airport Workers’ Union warns that the situation may worsen before it gets better.