The situation has eased somewhat, but it is not certain that all stranded people on Sunday can be captured. “KLM is doing everything in its power to get these customers to their destinations as quickly as possible.”
Due to significant delays in handling passengers in the Amsterdam hub, KLM decided on Saturday to cancel a number of scheduled flights from European cities from 5pm. According to the National Ports Agency, 42 empty planes have returned to Amsterdam. Affected passengers have been sent home or accommodated in hotels.
The National Ports Agency correspondent, who wanted to travel from Stockholm to Amsterdam, reported chaotic conditions. KLM did not initially say how many passengers were affected. The airline had previously warned that up to 50 flights per day might have to be canceled over the Pentecost weekend in order to keep the situation in Schiphol manageable.
Due to major problems in dealing there, KLM drastically reduced ticket sales at the end of May. In the previous weeks, the airport was already experiencing major problems due to the lack of personnel in baggage handling and security. At the end of May, Schiphol presented an action plan to prevent further chaos feared in the summer. Accordingly, the airport wants to hire more employees and pay higher wages.