Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, scene last year and into this of some of the worst scenes of lost and delayed baggage and missed flight connection has been ordered to cut down the number of companies involved in baggage handling and ground operations to three from the current six.
The Dutch infrastructure minister has ordered the airport to select no more than three companies, saying that having too many companies and not enough staff, as well as poor working conditions were responsible for much of the problem. “Having a high number of handlers creates choice and low costs for the airlines, but can also hurt working conditions,” the minister said.
As far back as 2004, officials determined that the airport was not complying with safety standards and ordered it to buy appropriate equipment to resolve the issues, but it now appears that did not happen, and no further inspections of working conditions took place after 2010. Dick Benschop, who was forced out last September as airport CEO, blamed competition among handling companies for the lack of worker protection.
New bidding, under stricter rules, is taking place for handling contracts going forward from the end of the year.
