Dutch travel sector sues Schiphol Airport over travel chaos

Dutch travel sector sues Schiphol Airport over travel chaos
People queuing at Schiphol airport. Credit: Belga

Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam has experienced severe disruptions in both April and May. Now, the Dutch travel industry association ANVR is taking Schiphol Airport to court, reports Belga.

A busy summer season has resulted in chaos at several airports, with the travel industry struggling to keep up with demand after two years of Covid-19.

ANVR wants to recover damages incurred for the airport chaos, according to ANVR Director Frank Oostdam when speaking to the Dutch press agency ANP.

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The organisation fears that a large number of travel companies could go bankrupt as a result of the disruptions, as travel companies are legally mandated to pay for the cost of cancelling holidays.

At issue is whether all costs, such as for hotels and excursions, can be all be recovered. The matter is of great importance to the travel sector, which isn't wallowing in cash after two years of Covid-19 and lockdowns.

Travel disruption

Schiphol Airport is not the only airport in trouble. A strike is looming just before the summer holidays at Brussels airport, with strike actions announced by the pilots of Brussels Airlines.

In early June, 1,000 travellers missed their flights due to chaos at Dublin airport. The situation was so chaotic that the government called in the airport CEO to create a plan for the rest of the summer, while the airport promised to passengers for missed flights.

In the UK, airports in Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester are drawing attention for huge queues going out buildings, missing bags and canceled flights, notably by British Airways, EasyJet and Tui.

Holidaymakers in Spain could face trouble as Ryanair's crew has announced a six-day strike at the end of June and early July in order to get guarantees of decent working conditions. Unions are consulting with colleagues in Belgium, France, Italy and Portugal to coordinate potential strike actions.


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