Dutch airline KLM is temporarily stopping the sale of tickets for flights that will depart from Schiphol in Amsterdam in the coming days, due to the chaos and long queues at the airport.
The airline announced that it is facing "operational issues" for flights departing from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, mainly during the security checks, which is why it will stop selling tickets for KLM flights until Sunday 29 May, report Dutch media.
"Unfortunately, the waiting lines at the security check are much longer than usual, which strongly impacts the waiting time," the airline said on its website.
As KLM expects that passengers will continue to miss their flights in the coming days due to the chaos, the company wants to keep seats available in its aircraft for passengers who are forced to rebook their trip for a later flight.
Related News
- KLM pilot assists Belgian teenager in her bid to fly solo around the world
- Face masks on EU flights no longer mandatory from Monday
- Brussels Airlines to drop face mask requirement
Recently, the waiting times for travellers have often been very long at Schiphol airport, partly because of the fast growth in the number of passengers, but also due to staff shortages on the ground.
As a result of the long waiting times at the airport, there have even been incidents where the airport police had to intervene, and some airlines have already cancelled flights. KLM is offering a rebooking option.
Earlier on Thursday, Schiphol presented a plan to counteract large-scale congestion at the airport during the busy summer period: extra personnel, such as security guards, must be recruited. On Wednesday, Schiphol also announced that the rules for take-off and landing rights will be changed, resulting in fewer flights departing this summer.
More information on what to do in case you missed a flight can be found on KLM's website.