A power outage at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol on January 29, 2024, disrupted operations in Terminal, causing screens to go dark for approximately 90 minutes and impacting self-service check-in kiosks. The outage began around 14:30 CET and was resolved by 16:00 CET.
Schiphol Airport and the Power Outage
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Amsterdam Airport schiphol experienced a power outage affecting Terminal on January 29, 2024. The disruption impacted passenger details displays and self-service check-in facilities.
The power outage began at approximately 14:30 Central European Time (CET) and lasted for roughly 90 minutes, with full restoration of power by 16:00 CET. During this period, passengers experienced difficulties accessing real-time flight information and completing self-service check-in procedures.
According to Schiphol’s official statements, the outage was caused by a problem with the power supply from the electricity grid. NOS News reported that the airport was working with network operator Liander to investigate the cause and prevent future occurrences.
Liander‘s Role in the Incident
Liander, the Dutch grid operator responsible for the Amsterdam region, was involved in the investigation of the power outage at Schiphol Airport. Liander is responsible for maintaining the electricity infrastructure that supplies power to the airport.
While the exact cause of the outage was initially unclear, Liander confirmed it was related to issues within their network. Trouw reported that Liander was working to determine the specific point of failure and implement preventative measures.
Impact on Passengers and Operations
The power outage caused significant disruption to passenger flow and information access within the affected terminal. Passengers experienced delays and uncertainty due to the lack of functioning display screens and self-service kiosks.
Specifically, the outage affected the ability of passengers to check in independently, view flight updates, and access gate information. Airport staff were deployed to assist passengers manually, but this resulted in longer queues and increased processing times. No flights were cancelled as a direct result of the outage, but some experienced delays.
Schiphol Airport reported that they prioritized maintaining essential services, such as security and baggage handling, throughout the outage. AD.nl reported that the airport focused on minimizing the impact on critical operations while restoring power.
Mitigation and Response
Schiphol Airport implemented contingency plans to mitigate the impact of the power outage. These included deploying additional staff to assist passengers, providing manual updates on flight information, and prioritizing essential services.
The airport also communicated updates to passengers through social media channels and its website. Schiphol’s official Twitter account provided real-time information about the outage and its resolution.
