Schiphol is doing well. Our national airport is even growing faster than the five largest European airports, according to airport organization ACI Europe.
Schiphol's European competitors grew by 6,9 percent in the first three months of the year. The number of travelers at Schiphol grew by 8,6 percent.
CEO Olivier Jankovec of ACI Europe thinks that the strong growth of European air traffic will continue for the time being: “The risk of political instability has just decreased further with the result of the French elections.
Problems due to busyness
The growth of Schiphol and the increasing crowds caused problems during the May holiday. Some travelers even missed their flight due to delays and queues at security. The situation led to anger at KLM.
Schiphol announced yesterday that between July 1 and August 31, all security gates in the departure halls with European destinations will be opened to scan baggage and more staff will be deployed for this.
Airport boss Nijhuis calls on passengers once again to arrive at Schiphol on time. Check in at home and do not take any unnecessary or prohibited items with you in your hand luggage.
KLM CEO Elbers is happy with the airport's commitments, but he also wants structural solutions. According to him, more needs to be invested in infrastructure and capacity.
Source: Various media
Schiphol also reports on its own site the number of flight movements for the month of March 2017 compared to March 2016.
“The number of arriving and departing passenger flights increased by 7,1%. The number of arriving and departing cargo flights increased by 0,6%. The average increase in the number of flight movements is therefore 6,9%.”
See:
https://nieuws.schiphol.nl/verkeer–en-vervoerscijfers-maart-2017/
.
This is worrying, and here's why:
The number of flight movements in 2016 was 479.000 in total.
The maximum number of permitted flight movements for 2017 is 500.000 (as well as for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020).
This means that the total number of flight movements this year may be a maximum of 4.4% higher than last year.
If the growth of March, 6.9%, were to remain this high during 2017, we would end up with 512.000 flight movements on an annual basis. 12.000 more than allowed.
The 500.000th flight movement would then probably take place on 22 December 2017, after which Schiphol will have to be closed for the rest of the year.
The problems were not caused by busyness, but by the willy-nilly by the top management NOT anticipating the growth by involving enough people.
So may Schiphol get into even more trouble due to the many claims for damages, and may Amsterdam and the NLe State intervene hard as co-shareholders in one of the largest national-product and therefore income-generating companies in NL.
Spreading the number of flight movements, by conducting more charters over regional airports, otherwise raising the flight ceiling of 500.000 flights considerably.
Or would we rather have 25.000 more unemployed people in that region?
Well, the maximum number of flight movements of 500.000 applies in any case up to and including 2020, as the wise pickpockets once agreed. So at least three years of zero percent growth. Indeed, by merely resting on their laurels. Après nous la déluge.
And now to congratulate oneself on the fact that growth is going so well, which is solely the result of a randomly improving global economy. The number of flights achieved last year (a record, well, great) was already predicted in 1998 for 2002 (sic!). For at least 14 years, people have left things as they are and have not lifted a leg. Yes, making a good impression with unreliable technology that also costs jobs.
And the transfer of flights to Lelystad has also been postponed again because the experts suddenly found out that it is becoming very complicated to share the flight routes. They're going to think about that now.
Don't make me laugh, what a bunch of amateurs.
Schiphol: poor equipment and too few employees, so long queues at the baggage check (friendly and helpful employees) and passport control.
Sometimes enough staff, but useful deployment of them is lacking. Yesterday at "loading" towards the plane 1 lady to check boarding card, the other is sitting uselessly at a desk a few meters further. Not opening 2 avenues, but only 1 avenue, resulting in a long line of unrestrained cattle, at the mercy of an airline. Too bad I have to go to Schiphol for certain flights. Regional airports are friendlier and faster.
Borders are constantly being stretched, along with the speed of the nations. Much is being invested in growth, higher income, more tax revenue and less unemployment. Nuisance for local residents, air pollution (cancer) does not count as much when earning money.
Absolutely right Harry. Mr. Nijhuis, the president of Schiphol, knew that this was going to happen, but he did not listen at all to advice from various types of people.
More passengers means more income for Schiphol, we all know the structure of the ticket price.
But we live in a society of profit maximization. Mr. Nijnuis only has an eye for the
bonus that awaits him due to excellent management. Clearly that's all the trouble
Schiphol is to blame. I wish the management a lot of misery with regard to the claims.
Well, not quite; Schiphol's income consists of tariffs that it charges to airlines and those costs have fallen considerably in recent years, partly at the insistence of KLM (just look at your ticket). So that does not generate extra income for Schiphol, rather less. Other income comes from the rental of retail space and part of the turnover generated in those stores.
Although Schiphol can indeed be accused of a complete lack of vision under Jos Nijhuis, KLM is not completely clean from the blame either. After all, KLM has argued for lower costs. This also means that Schiphol had less money to invest. But it must be said; previous investments and eg,. automated pass checks have also turned out to be a waste of money. Also in Bangkok, for example. Apparently a manufacturer knows how to sell a product here for a lot of money, which ultimately does not function properly.
But it is a great shame that an airport is not able to get passengers through the checks within a reasonable period of time, even when it is very busy. Then something is very wrong!
Think that one should not believe everything that is called and what is written in the newspaper, yes it is busy, it has been busy for years .. years ago there were tents outside in front of the rows from one room to another ..
Of course there have been problems and people who may have just been late missed their flight..
nuances ...