Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport to hit airlines with major hike in fees

Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport has announced that it will be raising its airline fees by 41% next year, according to a statement made by the airport owner, the Royal Schiphol Group, on the company’s website. 

The increase will mainly be used to fine airlines with excessively noisy aircraft, as well as improving infrastructure at the airport. Similarly, operators of night flights will also have to pay more. 

Fees are also set to rise by 6% in 2026, but will fall 7.5% in the following year. However, this will still mean that airlines will have to shell out about €15 more on average in 2027, than in 2024, for every passenger departing locally.

One of the main reasons for the move has been soaring inflation and much higher interest rates in the last three years. It also includes the cost of recovering from pandemic losses.

The airport has also revealed that it plans to use these funds to invest more in improving services for its airlines and passengers and will also enhance working conditions for its staff. 

For the above changes, Schiphol airport has revealed that it will need an investment of about €6bn over the next five years, which will go primarily towards quality improvements and maintenance. 

However, to lessen the burden on airlines, Schiphol airport has also announced that it will be contributing €100m towards this. 

In a statement, Robert Carsouw, the chief financial officer (CFO) of the Royal Schiphol Group, said: “This sharp increase in charges is necessary to invest in the desired quality and sustainability at Schiphol, to improve services to airlines and passengers, and to provide decent working conditions for all people working at Schiphol. 

“In addition, by making it significantly more expensive or even impossible to fly with noisier aircraft and to fly at night, we are contributing to the reduction of nuisance to our neighbours.”

National carrier KLM hits back at Schiphol airport for fees hike

The rise in fees has drawn criticism from some quarters, including the Netherland’s national carrier KLM.

In a statement on the company’s website, the chief executive officer (CEO) of KLM, Marjan Rintel, said: “Schiphol shifts additional costs of setbacks and budget overruns largely to the traveller. More expensive tickets are inevitable if you increase airport charges so drastically. This is unreasonable and unwise. 

“Unreasonable, because Schiphol is placing the costs of all setbacks and Covid-19 entirely on the airlines. Unwise, because in doing so, the airport undermines its competitive position as an international hub. This poses risks for the hub function, the connectivity of the Netherlands, and our economy.”