Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is the world’s fifth-busiest airport. In 2025, it handled almost 69 million passengers, making it one of Europe’s busiest and most complex airport environments to operate that as an aviation service provider. Yet Schiphol is at the heart of our operations; we employ over 1,000 people on-site and support every airline we serve with global expertise and dependable performance.

To mark both Konigsdag (King’s Day) in the Netherlands (27^th April) and World Day for Safety and Health at Work (April 28^th), this month’s edition of Meet the Faces Behind Swissport gives an in-depth look at our unique operations in the Dutch capital. We are joined by Claribel, a Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) ambassador for passenger services.

Life at Schiphol

Claribel joined Swissport in 2002, and after more than two decades in passenger services, she continues to learn and adapt to the ever-changing aviation landscape. Safety is Swissport’s number one priority, and Claribel believes a safety-first mindset is essential to successful operations. For her, a job well done means “consistently delivering safe, on-time performance while listening to customer feedback to keep improving”.

For Claribel, a typical day at Swissport starts with a daily check-in with her supervisor. After that, she joins “daily briefing from Schiphol Airport with all ground handlers and other stakeholders. During this briefing, the specifics for the day are shared, including passenger numbers, arrival and departure figures”, and other operations details.

Planning and intricate coordination are critical to success at this busy hub. Claribel uses her experience to anticipate when the “busiest times are, the peak moments, and what different customers expect from us. By being well-prepared for this, the team can manage busy periods effectively. During these times, it is clearly assigned which colleague is responsible for which customers each day”.

Claribel is most proud of her team’s open communication. “Everyone works hard on a culture where everyone helps each other and knows that we are there for one another in our department. The managers are very approachable and always offer advice and support”. She adds.

Living our safety culture

Safety is everyone’s responsibility at Swissport. The open communication and Schiphol team spirit means that everyone looks out for each other. With Just Culture, Clarabel highlights that “colleagues feel confident to take action, make decisions, admit mistakes, and share ideas openly”. This focus on doing the right thing, she argues, is the key to successful operations.

“We stop operating if there is a hazard. We are focused on correct and safe performance all day long and stop operations where necessary to prevent non-compliance. Additionally, we always explain why we halt procedures or need to redo them to increase employee awareness”, she tells us.

As an ambassador for safety, Clarabel keeps herself informed to encourage others to follow safe procedures, using the “training and refresher courses facilitated all year around by our training and development academy”. After each shift, the team debriefs to share details of the day’s operations and identify areas for improvement.

With World Day for Safety and Health at Work falling on April 28^th, the Schiphol team organized an annual ‘safety day’, organized with all airport ground operations teams at the airport. Clarabel tells us that the “day program includes several topics based on safety, awareness and work environment”.

Away from the Ramp

Clarabel’s caring nature is felt beyond the airport. In her spare time, she visits the elderly, stopping by for a coffee with them or helping them with small things like groceries. Sometimes, she might also bake them a cake or a pie. Clarabel tells us that Red Velvet is her specialty.

If she wasn’t working in aviation, Clarabel says she would be working as a nurse, trading passengers for patients and treating everyone with that same kindness and attention to detail. “You only live once”, she tells us, “but if you do it right, once is all you’ll ever need”.

Our Meet The Faces Series

Stay tuned for more stories in our Meet the Faces Behind Swissport series, where we showcase the incredible people behind our business. Want to see what life at Swissport is like? Visit Our People to learn more.