Schiphol Passengers Could Pay €3 Suitcase Fee to Help Attract Staff, Baggage Companies Say
A suitcase surcharge of 2 to 3 euros per airline ticket could help the baggage handling companies operating at Schiphol Airport with recruiting much-needed extra staff. The baggage handlers’ wages can only increase faster if the airlines pay the firms more money, said Edwin van der Linden, director of personnel affairs at baggage handling company Viggo. Van der Linden is also the chair of WPBL, an association that represents the interests of baggage handling companies operating in the Netherlands.
The baggage companies still need hundreds of workers to cope with the busy May holiday period and the summer vacation season. If they have not solved that problem within a few weeks, Schiphol CEO Ruud Sondag will likely intervene. He issued an ultimatum on Friday saying that restrictions may again soon be necessary which would limit the number of travelers who are allowed to depart from the airport every day.
