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The horror stories from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport last summer still haunt travelers: families missing flights after 5-hour security queues, business travelers stripping down to underwear to speed up scans, and the now-infamous viral photo of a man eating a full rijsttafel meal on the floor while waiting. But with the airport’s €100 million security overhaul completed this month, has the nightmare actually ended?
Schiphol’s new CT scanners—the same tech used in London and Zurich—promised to:
Early results? Cautious optimism. During a surprise visit last Tuesday, I breezed through security in 14 minutes flat, watching a Dutch family cheer as they kept their baby formula and iPads in their bags. "This feels like witchcraft," laughed father Jeroen van Dijk.
But dig deeper, and cracks appear. The scanners can’t handle oversized luggage, forcing 1 in 10 passengers into manual checks. And at 6 AM—when 42 flights depart within 90 minutes—lines still balloon to 45+ minutes.
"Technology is only half the battle," admits Eva de Vries, a security supervisor. Staff shortages remain critical, with 1 in 4 new hires quitting within months due to stress and odd shifts. During peak hours, I witnessed three officers handling four lanes—a math problem no scanner can solve.
With passenger numbers expected to hit pre-pandemic levels this summer, Schiphol’s director Ruud Sondag admits: "We’re at the mercy of last-minute strikes and IT crashes." For now, travelers should still arrive 3 hours early—and maybe pack that rijsttafel after all.
