Schiphol airport prepares for another week of chaos as staff threaten action over working conditions

Passengers at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport are facing continuing chaos this week with extremely long security queues and delays.

The airport has been the scene of flight disruption over the last month as it has coped with severe staff shortages. 

Now trade unions representing staff at the overcrowded airport are threatening labour action on 1 June if their working conditions do not change. They say "something has to change" as both passengers and workers are literally falling over due to exhaustion from the ongoing disruption. 

The chaos is not looking like it will improve heading into summer as the airport says the problem will take time to solve. As passenger numbers increase during the busy season, anyone planning to travel is being told that they should expect long waiting times. 

Schipol Airport is the second largest in the European Union and has seen severe delays over the last month. 

On Monday staff shortages at security checkpoints led to hours-long queues that affected thousands of travellers. More than 500 flights were delayed and over 50 cancelled with travellers taking to social media to complain. 

The disruption is expected to continue on Tuesday with more than 100 flights already delayed or cancelled.

Amsterdam Schiphol airport.. 3 hour line to get through security just to miss our flight, have to pay £500 to get new flights, wait 12 hours with no staff in sight to help & THEN we’re told the airport have lost our bags. Absolute joke @Schipholpic.twitter.com/zVboxEkOiQ

The most recent delays come after an unexpected strike led to warnings of “long queues at check-in, security and passport control" earlier this month in the run-up to the May vacation.

The end of this week is Ascension Day in the Netherlands with