A technical failure took all 78 Schiphol eGates offline, lengthening passport-control queues.
Why it matters: The outage forced Schiphol to shift passport checks from automated gates to staffed desks. KLM reported delays of about 30 minutes, showing how a border-control failure can affect airline operations.
- The outage began at approximately 6:00 a.m. CEST on Sunday, October 18, 2026.
- All 78 electronic passport gates were affected, according to NL Times, citing the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee.
- KLM told NL Times that delays were about 30 minutes and that it had not preemptively canceled flights as of approximately 11:30 a.m. CEST.
- The latest update in the supplied materials said none of the eGates was working; no restoration time or confirmed cause was provided.
A technical failure disabled Schiphol Airport's self-service electronic passport-control gates, known as eGates, on Sunday, October 18, 2026. The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee confirmed the outage and said passengers should expect longer waiting times.
Passport checks shifted to staffed desks. NL Times reported that the failure began at approximately 6:00 a.m. CEST and affected all 78 eGates, citing the Marechaussee.
“None of the electronic passport controls, the E-Gates, are working at the moment, and that is causing queues,” a Marechaussee spokesperson said. The spokesperson added: “We're working hard to resolve the issue, but at the moment we don't have an estimate of how long it will take.”
The gates operate in arrival, departure and transfer areas, scanning passport chips and checking a traveler's face. Eligible users generally must be at least 14, hold a chip-enabled passport and be a national of an approved country. Identity cards cannot be used at the automated gates, according to the Marechaussee's guidance.
NL Times reported that KLM's delays were about 30 minutes and that the airline was trying to wait for passengers. As of approximately 11:30 a.m. CEST, KLM had not preemptively canceled flights. The supplied materials contain no later restoration update, so they do not establish whether the gates were subsequently restored.
By the numbers
- 78 - electronic passport gates reported affected at Schiphol
- 30 minutes - approximate KLM delay reported during the outage
- 6:00 a.m. CEST - approximate reported start time on October 18, 2026
Yes, but: The available reporting confirms the outage and its effect on queues, but does not establish its cause or whether the system was restored after the latest cited update.
What's next: The Marechaussee said it was working to resolve the failure but had not provided an estimated restoration time.