Amsterdam's Dual Airport System: How It Works

Amsterdam has one airport, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, which is located 7-20 kilometres away from the city centre in the town of Haarlemmermeer. It is the largest airport in the country and the third-largest in Europe, with 72 million passengers in 2019. The airport is built on the single-terminal concept, with one large terminal split into three departure halls.

There are other airports in the Netherlands that are within a few hours' travel of Amsterdam, including Eindhoven Airport, Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Maastricht Aachen Airport, and Groningen Airport Eelde.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the largest airport in the country

The airport is built on the single-terminal concept: one large terminal split into three departure halls, designated 1, 2, and 3. Schiphol is the principal hub for KLM and its regional affiliate KLM Cityhopper, as well as for Martinair. It also serves as an operating base for Corendon Dutch Airlines, easyJet, Transavia, TUI fly Netherlands, and Vueling.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol was opened on 16 September 1916 as a military airbase. With the end of the First World War, civilian use of the airport began, and it eventually lost its military role completely. By 1940, Schiphol had four asphalt runways at 45-degree angles. The airport was captured by the German military in 1940 and renamed Fliegerhorst Schiphol. It was destroyed through bombing but was rebuilt after the war. In 1949, it was decided that Schiphol would become the primary airport of the Netherlands.

The airport covers a total area of 6,887 acres (10.761 square miles; 2,787 hectares) of land. It has six runways, one of which is used mainly by general aviation. It is one of the world's lowest major commercial airports, with parts of the airport sitting 3.4 metres (11 feet) below sea level.

Eindhoven Airport, the second-largest airport in the country

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the largest airport in the Netherlands, and one of the major hubs for the SkyTeam airline alliance. It is located 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) southwest of Amsterdam and is the third-largest airport in Europe.

However, Eindhoven Airport, located 7.6 kilometres (4.7 miles) west of Eindhoven, is the second-largest airport in the country. It is an international airport used by both civilian and military traffic. In 2023, it served 6.8 million passengers, offering connectivity to more than 80 destinations. The airport has continued to grow, with expansion work started in 2012, including the addition of a hotel.

Eindhoven Airport is owned by the Schiphol Group (51%), Noord-Brabant province (24.5%), and Eindhoven city (24.5%). It has a cargo terminal and a single runway measuring 3,000 metres long and 45 metres wide. The airport has been credited with CO₂-neutral status, the highest possible accreditation level within the Airport Carbon Accreditation benchmark.

The airport's history dates back to 1932 when it was founded as a grass strip called Vliegveld Welschap. During World War II, it was acquired by the Air Force and later captured by German forces, who expanded and improved the airfield. After the war, it was returned to the Royal Netherlands Air Force in 1952. In 1984, a terminal building for civilian air traffic was constructed, and Eindhoven Airport has since grown into a significant transport hub.

Rotterdam The Hague Airport, the third-largest airport in the country

Amsterdam is served by Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, which is located 7 miles from the city. However, there is more than one airport in the Netherlands.

Rotterdam The Hague Airport

Rotterdam The Hague Airport (formerly known as Zestienhoven) is the third-largest airport in the country. It is a minor international airport serving Rotterdam, the second-largest city in the Netherlands, and The Hague, its administrative and royal capital. It is located 5.5 kilometres north-northwest of Rotterdam in South Holland.

The airport handled over 2.1 million passengers in 2019 and offers scheduled flights to European metropolitan and leisure destinations. It is also used for general aviation and has several flying clubs, a skydiving club, and a flight training school.

The airport was opened in October 1956 and has been extensively renovated and expanded over the years. It was originally named Zestienhoven Airport, as it is located on the polder between Rotterdam and The Hague. In 2010, it was renamed Rotterdam The Hague Airport to reflect its prominent international profile.

The airport is easily accessible by car, as it is situated next to the busy A13/E19 motorway. It is also served by bus line 33, which connects the airport to Rotterdam Centraal and Meijersplein station, where transfers are available to metro line E for Den Haag Centraal, Rotterdam Centraal, and Rotterdam city centre.

Rotterdam The Hague Airport is part of the Royal Schiphol Group and offers 24-hour operations for scheduled and charter flights, business flights, and civil air transport. It serves as a regional airport for the Rotterdam-The Hague metropolitan region and handles around two million passengers annually.

The airport has experienced significant growth, doubling its passenger numbers from 1,000,858 in 2010 to 2,133,976 in 2019. Most flights today are operated by smaller mainline jets, such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 series, or the Embraer 190. It is also frequently used by state and military aircraft due to its proximity to The Hague.

Maastricht Aachen Airport, a regional airport near the Municipality of Beek

Maastricht Aachen Airport (IATA: MST, ICAO: EHBK) is a major cargo hub and regional passenger airport in Beek, in the Municipality of Limburg, Netherlands. It is located 5 NM (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) northeast of Maastricht and 15 NM (28 km; 17 mi) northwest of Aachen, Germany.

The airport is the second-largest hub for cargo flights in the Netherlands. In 2022, the airport handled 266,000 passengers and 108,000 tons of cargo. The Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) of the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) is also based at the airport.

Maastricht Aachen Airport was closed for renovations from 8 May to 30 June 2023.

The airport has been in operation since 1945, when it was known as Beek airfield (vliegveld Beek). The first civilian aircraft landed on 26 September 1945, operated by the Regeeringsvliegdienst, a government service carrying officials and others with urgent business. The airport was taken over by KLM in 1946, using DC-3 Dakotas. The first semi-permanent airport terminal was completed in 1947, and the runway was paved in 1949.

The late 1950s and early 1960s saw significant expansion in commercial operations at the airport, with operators including KLM, Airnautical, Skytours, Euravia, Tradair and Transair. In 1966, NLM CityHopper began operating a service between Maastricht and Amsterdam Schiphol, which lasted until 2008.

In 1973, the airport was expanded to handle bigger aircraft, with the main runway lengthened to 2,500 m (8,200 ft). In 1981, a development plan recommended constructing a 3,500m east-west runway to facilitate growth in cargo operations, particularly during the night hours. However, the plan was aborted in 1998 after years of debate and postponement.

In 1992, the Belgian town of Tongeren became a shareholder of the airport, and two years later, the board of trade of the German city of Aachen followed suit, leading to the airport's name change to "Maastricht-Aachen Airport" in October 1994. In July 2004, the airport became the first fully privatised airport in the Netherlands, with a 100% share acquired by OmDV, a consortium of airport investment company Omniport and construction company Dura Vermeer.

Groningen Airport, an airport with an average of one departure a day

Amsterdam is served by one main international airport, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. However, there are other smaller airports located near the city. One of these is Groningen Airport, officially known as Groningen Airport Eelde. Located 4.8 nautical miles (or 8.9 km) south of the city of Groningen, it is a minor international airport that serves the northeastern region of the Netherlands.

With a history that dates back to 1927, Groningen Airport has gone through several name changes and ownership transfers over the years. It was initially named "Hakenkampsveld" and later renamed "Luchthaven Eelde" in 1933. The airport has been a significant site for aviation training and was home to the National Aviation Academy from 1954 to 1991, when it became the KLM Flight Academy.

Today, Groningen Airport offers flights to various holiday destinations across Europe, including Spain (Gran Canaria and Mallorca), Ireland (Knock Airport), Sweden (Scandinavian Mountains), and Turkey (Antalya). The airport provides convenient parking options directly outside the terminal, making it easy for passengers to check in and travel.

While the airport's website does not specify the exact number of daily departures, it can be estimated that there is, on average, around one departure per day. This estimation is based on the number of destinations served by the airport and the frequency of flights to each destination. For example, as of January 2024, there were direct flights to Gran Canaria twice a week (on Mondays and Fridays).

Groningen Airport is easily accessible by car using exit 37 of the A28 motorway. Additionally, there is a dedicated bicycle infrastructure connecting the airport to the city of Groningen. The closest major railway stations are located in Assen and Groningen, with bus connections available to the airport from these stations.

Frequently asked questions