Schiphol to manage PRM assistance in-house

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will bring assistance services for passengers with reduced mobility in-house from 2028, aiming to strengthen operational control, enhance service quality and prepare for rising demand.

Summary:

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will bring passenger assistance services for passengers with reduced mobility (PRMs) in-house from early 2028 to strengthen operational control, service quality and future development.
The airport expects growing demand for PRM assistance, with approximately 750,000 passengers currently supported each year by Axxicom Airport Caddy.
Schiphol and Axxicom Airport Caddy will work together on a phased transition, with a strong focus on service continuity and the transfer of around 1,000 employees.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – has decided to manage the assistance of passengers with reduced mobility (PRMs) itself. This will give the airport more control over continuity, quality and further developments.

Approximately 1,000 Axxicom Airport Caddy workers are currently responsible for providing these important services. The switch should take place in early 2028. Until then, the services will continue to be provided by Axxicom Airport Caddy.

Assistance for PRMs is a vital and growing service at Schiphol. Axxicom Airport Caddy has been handling this on Schiphol’s behalf since 2003, assisting approximately 750,000 passengers to and from their flights annually.

“Our colleagues at Axxicom Airport Caddy do important work that affects large numbers of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol’s passengers,” said Patricia Vitalis, Chief Operating Officer, Royal Schiphol Group. “They provide assistance to people in need of additional support during their time in our airport. Axxicom Airport Caddy has handled this work for Schiphol with impressive care, skill and dedication for over 20 years. We have enjoyed our collaboration with Facilicom Groep and value their engagement. We expect significant further growth in the numbers of passengers requiring such assistance in the coming years. This will only increase the importance of these services to Schiphol. That is why we have decided to take on this responsibility ourselves, taking over the organisation and making it part of our daily practice.”

The transition to the new order of affairs will require time and care. Nothing will change with regard to Axxicom Airport Caddy’s service provision in the short-term. Step by step, Schiphol and Facilicom Groep will work to ensure a smooth transition together. That includes extensive attention to the continuity of services available to passengers and care for the nearly 1,000 workers employed by Axxicom Airport Caddy. These workers will receive regular updates on the transition to Schiphol’s management in the coming period.

“Our workers have managed to build up something special since 2003,” said Vincent Kas, Managing Director, Axxicom Airport Caddy. “Day after day, they provide assistance to passengers in need of additional support. That requires knowledge of the work, but above all, patience and an ability to put people at ease. This combination makes our services so valuable. I am enormously proud of that. Axxicom Airport Caddy could never have become what we are today without our people’s dedication. Passengers who place their trust in us may continue to count on our support. At the same time, we will be working with Schiphol to ensure a careful transition focused on continuity: for passengers, for the services provided and last but not least, for our workers.”