Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will introduce a scheme for passengers who missed flights between 23 April and 11 August due to security control delays, the airport announced on Thursday.
The temporary scheme has been developed together with the Dutch Consumers' Association and ombudsman service Ombudsman MAX after travellers were met with flight delays and cancellations at the Netherlands’ hub airport in recent months.
Home to the Dutch arm of Air France-KLM, the airport said travellers can apply for compensation for costs incurred to rebook a flight or for a replacement flight, for alternative transport if they chose to travel to a destination by other means, or for extra travel costs incurred to travel to Schiphol airport or another airport. Travellers can also claim accommodation costs at or near Schiphol and expenses for non-cancellable accommodation, transport or activities at their destination.
Schiphol CEO Dick Benschop said in a statement: “We’re extremely sorry that some people have missed their flight due to the long security control queue. They’ve had to miss out on all or part of their holiday, and we really sympathise with them... During these special times and circumstances, we must not let these people fall through the cracks.”
In a tweet following the statement, MAX Ombudsman project leader Jeanine Janssen praised the airport for “taking its responsibility towards the consumer”. She added: “We’re proud to have been able to contribute toward this solution through our action. The trial process is now over, as people are being compensated.”
Affected travellers will be able to submit a compensation request to the airport until 30 September. Schiphol said it will assess compensation requests “on the basis of the terms and conditions that have been drawn up”.
Like hub airports in Frankfurt and London, Schiphol restricted passenger numbers during the summer peak period in an effort to address long delays and last-minute flight cancellations. The airport recently announced it will extend the passenger cap until October.