It was a busy day in Schiphol. But it’s not very crowded, according to estimates by those involved in the first peak day of the May holidays.

There were hardly any queues at the security checkpoint today. The waiting time at the check-in desks was up to an hour.

Schiphol spokesman Dennis Müller said NH News. So far, this is an affirmation of that confidence.”

After last year’s chaos at the airport during the May holidays, tensions have risen again this year. And although 850 new security guards have been hired at Schiphol Airport in the meantime and their salaries have increased, there is still a shortage of staff at the handling companies.

EasyJet, the second largest airline at the airport after KLM, called on passengers to arrive 2.5 to 3 hours early for the flight within Europe during the May holidays. Schiphol himself thought that two hours in advance for the European voyage was sufficient. The airport also advised travelers to Wear casual clothesThe less you spend on security, the less you have to check.

But it worked. Especially early in the morning it was very crowded in Departure Terminal 3, the place where easyJet and other low-cost airlines depart from Schiphol. But a little later, waiting times in all departure halls remained limited.

Gap DB of FNV Syndicate mainly sees an improvement in security. He stresses that the handling companies — responsible for, among other things, check-in desks, baggage handling and lane connecting — continue to have problems. “If you look at the baggage cellar and the platform, the understaffing is still there,” says the union man. “We’re still worried about that.”