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More airport chaos on the cards as Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, the third busiest international airport on earth undergoes a mammoth transformation.
Exciting plans for Schiphol Airports’ makeover
The major airport – the most important in the Netherlands – complete with its six runways and four-zoned terminal is currently in the swings of a huge £2.2 billion renovation project to restore it to a greater glory as recent years have seen it fall into significant disrepair. Given that it is the fourth busiest airport in passenger numbers in Europe, following London Heathrow, iGA Istanbul and Paris Charles de Gaulle, its makeover could not have come soon enough. Despite some angst from frustrated managers of the ambitious project for contract delays, this does not deter from the long-awaited developments outlined in its planning design. These include more elegant and more spacious lounge areas, a dual taxiway and a pristine new pier. According to designers, Pier A will be equipped with a range of new shops, security and border controls spread over three levels. To fit with eco-friendly standards, it has pledged to integrate seven additional gates divided between narrow-body and wider-body planes.
Schiphol airport left debilitated after Covid-19 pandemic
Schiphol originally opened as a small-scale military airport in 1916. Since then it has grown exponentially in importance welcoming over 62 million passengers through its doors in 2022 alone. Its location at the heart of Europe makes it ideal as a stop-off for long-haul flights and for quick connections to multiple European destinations. However, since the Covid-19 pandemic, the airport saw huge challenges to manage unprecedented levels of passenger traffic following staff shortages. The airport saw itself tackling lengthy queues, delays and missing luggage complaints. To overcome such hurdles, Schiphol was obliged to introduce limits to its capacity.
The sizeable airport had seen its ranking plummet from 15th best in the world to a lamentable 29th, prompting developers to schedule the exciting transformation, which is due for completion in 2027. Time will tell whether Schiphol Airport Amsterdam can duly reclaim its position as a top ten best airport worldwide.
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