AMS: Passport eGate Failure Strands Schiphol Travelers for 10 Hours, Hundreds Miss Flights

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — October 19, 2026. A failure that knocked out every automated passport gate at Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) on Sunday, October 18, left travelers in border-control lines for hours. Several hundred people reportedly missed flights before the system came back about 10 hours later.

What happened

When: The outage began around 6 a.m. local time on Sunday, October 18, according to the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, the military police force that runs Dutch border control. It was resolved about 10 hours after it was first noticed.
What failed: All 78 self-service passport eGates. Officers switched to checking passports by hand, which created long queues.
Who was hit: Travelers crossing the Schengen border, meaning flights to and from non-Schengen countries such as the UK and the US, plus connecting passengers who have to clear passport control. Arriving passengers waited more than an hour, some for several hours. One traveler told De Telegraaf there was “no water, no information.”
Missed flights: Several hundred people missed flights, including connecting passengers, according to NL Times. KLM said some departures left about 30 minutes late while it held flights for passengers still in line.
Cause: Unknown and under investigation. KLM and the Marechaussee said they had no reason to assume a cyberattack, though the Marechaussee said it could not rule one out.
Timing: Schiphol was already busier than usual because of the Dutch autumn school holiday.
Status: Resolved, according to the Marechaussee.

What it means for non-revs

Expect fuller flights today. Passengers who missed Sunday flights are being rebooked, and the school holiday is already filling planes. Standby chances on KLM and partner flights out of AMS may be tighter than usual on October 19–20.
Build in extra connection time. If you connect at AMS between Schengen and non-Schengen flights, allow more time than the minimum in case the eGates fail again. A tight connection on a standby itinerary is a real risk.
Carry on. When passengers miss connections, bags often take a different path, so keep what you need with you.