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The corona crisis is still causing aviation to fall flat. The airports in our country have been severely affected by the consequences of the corona crisis for a long time. Border closures and travel bans due to corona infections play a major role in this. Schiphol Amsterdam reports that the number of flights to and from Schiphol fell by 61 percent last month. In January there were a total of 14.666 flights to and from Schiphol Amsterdam. Last year in January that was 37.567 flights. 870.000 passengers used Schiphol Amsterdam last month, compared to five million in the same month last year. This is a decrease in the number of passengers of no less than 83 percent. Of these 870.000 passengers in January, approximately 550.000 passengers made a transfer at Schiphol.

What is striking is that the number of cargo flights did increase in January. This was up 121 percent from January last year. Last month there were 2232 cargo flights, in January last year there were 1011. Since 23 January, there is a flight ban on passenger flights to the Netherlands from dozens of countries worldwide, due to the various virus mutations that exist. Travelers who are on Schiphol Airport arrivals are compulsory since 23 January to have themselves tested immediately before departure by means of an antigen rapid test or LAMP test. This measure is in addition to the existing measure that passengers must be able to show a negative PCR test result.

Also read: Schiphol is testing self-driving baggage vehicles