KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam Schiphol) will only receive 10% in compensation for the EUR350 million euro (USD380 million) in losses sustained from the chaos created by staff shortages at Amsterdam Schiphol last year, insiders have told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
KLM claimed EUR75 million (USD81 million) in damages resulting from rebookings and compensation paid to passengers and USD275 million (USD298 million) in lost turnover, but Schiphol will only refund part of the rebooking fees and passenger compensations and none of the lost turnover, said the newspaper quoting those in the know.
ch-aviation has reached out to KLM for comment.
A KLM spokesperson confirmed to De Telegraaf that the airline had reached an agreement with Schiphol but would not detail the amount. Schiphol said that confidentiality was part of the settlement agreement.
Passengers were subjected to long queues for hours on end airside and landside in the summer of 2022 because of staff shortages in the airport's security and baggage handling departments, resulting in missed flights and lost suitcases. Schiphol responded by cutting 13,500 seats daily between July 6 and August 28, 2022, resulting in airlines being forced to cancel hundreds of flights. The KLM Group airlines - which have the lion's share at the airport - were particularly impacted.
Other airlines are reportedly still negotiating compensation from the airport.
