KLM caps Amsterdam ticket sales amid airport security chaos

KLM capped the sale of flights from its Amsterdam Schiphol hub in order to create spare capacity for customers who miss their booked departure amid an acute shortage of airport security staff. The restrictions, which don’t apply to premium bookings, will be in place through Sunday, a spokeswoman for the unit of Air France-KLM said in an email Thursday. People holding tickets can also retime their trip for a later date. Royal Schiphol Group NV, which operates the hub, said separately that it had devised an action plan that includes recruiting more staff and optimizing passenger flows to help reduce waits that have extended to several hours. KLM has canceled hundreds of flights in recent weeks, with the lack of security personnel and cleaners compounded by a labor dispute at the airport. The Dutch disruption is symptomatic of a wider European crunch as airports and airlines that cut back during the pandemic seek thousands of workers to cope with a surge in demand unleashed by the lifting of travel curbs.<br/>