SCHIPHOL – A man who attempted to board a KLM flight to Curaçao without a valid ticket has been handed a 40-year flight ban by the airline, following repeated incidents at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
The incident took place on Boxing Day, when the man, who held a ticket for London, managed to bypass security controls at gate E20 by jumping over a glass barrier. He then walked through the boarding bridge and entered an aircraft preparing to depart for Curaçao.
His attempt was quickly detected, and he was removed from the plane by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee.
According to regional broadcaster NH, a court later fined the man €750 and imposed a conditional community service sentence of 24 hours.
Authorities confirmed that this was not the first time the individual had attempted to board a flight to Curaçao without the proper ticket. A similar incident had occurred months earlier, also resulting in his arrest and a fine.
The man was already on KLM’s blacklist following a previous case in which he assaulted a check-in desk employee. At that time, he received a four-year flight ban, which has now been extended to 2065.
The incident also caused disruption for passengers. The aircraft had to be evacuated for a full security check, requiring all passengers to go through screening again and resulting in a delay of approximately 90 minutes.
Airlines warn that such security breaches can lead to significant operational disruptions and costs, sometimes amounting to tens of thousands of euros.