Schiphol airport has published a four-point plan to reduce pressure on staff and passengers in the coming weeks, following days of long queues and angry scenes.

The plan involves employing as many security officials as possible, improving pay throughout the airport, and streamlining passenger movements through the terminal by, for example, reducing the amount of hand baggage.

The airport authority has also said that airlines which do not use take off and landing slots will not lose them for the period up to August 28. They hope that this will encourage airlines not to use the slots if they have sold few tickets for the service.

The airport has been grappling with a lack of staff since the May holidays, when queues to pass through security were so long, some people missed flights. Airlines also cancelled services or moved them to other airports.

Schiphol chief executive Dick Benschop said that the measures would not end the queuing but said he promised that travellers would have a ‘pleasant Schiphol experience’.

KLM has also said it will scale back selling last minute tickets for the coming few days to hold open space for people who need to rebook their flights because of cancellations or because they could not face the long queues.

Travellers told Dutch News on Thursday that they had only spent an hour to get through passport and security checks. ‘It worked very well and most people were in good humour,’ one holiday maker said.