Schiphol Amsterdam Airport Continue Passenger Restrictions Until March 2023

Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, Netherlands. (Wikimedia Commons/Cjh1452000)

JAKARTA - The Airport Authority of Schiphol Amsterdam, the Netherlands on Thursday said it would continue to limit the number of daily passengers in the coming months, amid efforts to find ways to address the ongoing shortage of security staff.

Schiphol, one of Europe's busiest airports, said the daily number of passengers would be reduced by about a fifth until at least March 2023.

Earlier, Schiphol Airport earlier this month cut capacity until the end of October nearly 20 percent, with now saying this rate of decline will be maintained in the coming months.

Passengers in Schiphol have faced long queues for security checks over the months, due to a shortage of workers, causing many travelers to miss flights.

KLM, the main airline in Schiphol, said the situation now seemed hopeless, as the airport for months failed to offer a viable solution.

"For these KLMs, this is the last challenge," said the Dutch airline, which is part of Air France KLM in a statement.

"Many times, airlines and passengers need to offer solutions."

KLM said it had no choice but to limit ticket sales for the upcoming winter, with a total loss of more than 100 million euros.

Airport authorities said limiting the number of passengers was needed to secure everyone's safety, while continuing to work with security companies and unions to improve the situation.

Previously, Schiphol Amsterdam Airport would reduce the number of daily passengers by 18 percent to at least October 31 due to labor shortages.

The airport said its decision would reduce the average number of passengers through the airport to 54,500 a day for the remainder of September and to 57,000 in October.

It is known, travel in Schiphol has been disrupted and cut off since April. Hundreds of flights were canceled and queues became routine.