Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Nederlands. Luchthaven Schiphol, Шаблон:IPA-nl) Шаблон:Airport codes is the main international airport of the Netherlands, located 20 minutes (Шаблон:Convert) southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. It is the fourth busiest airport in Europe in terms of passengers.
Schiphol is the primary hub for KLM and its regional affiliate KLM Cityhopper as well as for Arkefly, Corendon Dutch Airlines,Шаблон:Citation needed Martinair, and Transavia.com.Шаблон:Citation needed The airport also serves as a European hub for Delta Air Lines and as a base for easyjetШаблон:Citation needed and Vueling.Шаблон:Citation needed Schiphol is considered to be an airport city.Шаблон:Citation needed The airport's official English name, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, reflects the original Dutch word order (Luchthaven Schiphol).
Schiphol is an important European airport, ranking as Europe's 4th busiest and the world's 14th busiest by total passenger traffic in 2013 (16th in 2012). It also ranks as the world's 6th busiest by international passenger traffic and the world's 16th busiest for cargo tonnage. 52.569 million passengers passed through the airport in 2013, a 3% increase compared with 2012. Schiphol's main competitors in terms of passenger traffic and cargo throughput are London Heathrow Airport, Frankfurt Airport, Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport and Madrid–Barajas Airport.
In 2010, 65.9% of passengers using the airport flew to and from Europe, 11.7% to and from North America and 8.8% to and from Asia; cargo volume was mainly between Schiphol and Asia (45%) and North America (17%).
In 2010, 106 carriers provided a total of 301 destinations on a regular basis. Passenger destinations were offered by 91 airlines. Direct (non-stop) destinations grew by 9Шаблон:When to 274. Regular destinations serviced exclusively by full freighters (non-passenger) grew by 8Шаблон:When to a total of 27.
The airport is built as one large terminal (a single-terminal concept), split into three large departure halls, which connect again once airside. The most recent of these was completed in 1994, and expanded in 2007 with a new section, called Terminal 4, although it is not considered a separate building. Plans for further terminal expansion exist, including the construction of a separate new terminal between the Zwanenburgbaan and Polderbaan runways that would end the one-terminal concept.
Because of intense traffic and high landing fees, some low-cost carriers decided to move their flights to smaller airports, such as Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Eindhoven Airport. Many low-cost carriers, such as EasyJet, however, continue to operate from Schiphol, using the low-cost H-pier.
Schiphol is equipped with 18 double jetway gates in preparation for airlines introducing the Airbus A380. Emirates was the first airline to fly the A380 to Schiphol in August 2012, deploying the aircraft on its daily Dubai–Amsterdam service.
Schiphol's name is derived from a former fortification named Fort Schiphol which was part of the Stelling van Amsterdam defence works. Before 1852, the Haarlemmermeer polder in which the airport lies was a large lake with some shallow areas. There are multiple stories of how the place got its name. The most popular story is that in the shallow waters sudden violent storms could claim many ships. This was the main reason for reclaiming it. In English, Schiphol translates to 'Ship Grave', a reference to many ships supposedly lost in the lake. When the lake was reclaimed, however, no ship wrecks were found. Another possible origin of the name is the word 'scheepshaal'. A scheepshaal is a ditch or little canal in which ships would be towed from one lake to another. A third explanation would be that the name derived from the words 'scip hol'. This is a low lying area of land (hol, like in the name Holland) from where wood would be obtained to build ships.
Schiphol opened on 16 September 1916 as a military airbase, with a few barracks and a field serving as platform and runways. When civil aircraft started to use the field (17 December 1920) it was often called Schiphol-les-bains. The Fokker aircraft manufacturer started a factory near Schiphol airport in 1919. The end of the First World War also saw the beginning of civilian use of Schiphol Airport and the airport eventually lost its military role completely.
By 1940, Schiphol had four asphalt runways at 45-degree angles, all Шаблон:Convert or less. One was extended to become today's runway 04/22; two others crossed that runway at . The airport was captured by the German military that same year and renamed Fliegerhorst Schiphol. A large amount of anti-aircraft defences were installed in the vicinity of the airport and fake decoy airfields were constructed in the vicinity near Bennebroek, Vijfhuizen and Vogelenzang in an attempt to confuse allied bombers. A railway connection was also constructed. Despite these defences, the airfield was still bombed intensively, and an exceptionally heavy attack on the 13th of December 1943 caused so much damage that it rendered the airfield unusable as an active base. After that it served only as an emergency landing field, until the Germans themselves destroyed the remainders of the airfield at the start of Operation Market Garden. At the end of the war, the airfield was restored quickly, with the first aircraft, a Douglas DC-3, landing again on the 8th of July 1945.
A new terminal building was completed in 1949 and it was decided that Schiphol was to become the primary airport of the Netherlands. Expansion came at the cost of a small town called Rijk, which was demolished to make room for the growing airport. The name of this town is remembered in the name of the present Schiphol-Rijk industrial estate. In 1967, Dutch designer Benno Wissing created signage for Schiphol Airport well known for its clear writing and thorough color-coding; to avoid confusion, he prohibited any other signage in the shades of yellow and green used. This was part of the new terminal building which replaced the older facilities once located on what is now the east side of the airport. The A-Pier of the airport was modified in 1970 to allow Boeing 747 aircraft to make use of the boarding gates.
The construction of a new Air Traffic Control tower was completed in 1991 as the existing tower could no longer oversee all of the airport. New wayfinding signage was designed that year as well by Paul Mijksenaar. A sixth runway was completed at quite some distance west of the rest of airport in 2003 and was nicknamed the Polderbaan, with the connecting taxiway crossing the A5 motorway. The distance of this runway means that taxi times to and from this runway can take between 10 and 20 minutes. It also required the construction of an additional Air Traffic Control tower as the primary tower is too far away to oversee this part of the airfield.
On 25 February 2005, a diamond robbery occurred at Schiphol's cargo terminal. The robbers used a stolen KLM van to gain airside access. The estimated value of the stones was around 75 million euros, making it one of the largest diamond robberies ever. Later that year a fire broke out at the airport's detention centre, killing 11 people and injuring 15. The complex was holding 350 people at the time of the incident. Results from the investigation almost one year later showed that fire safety precautions were not in force. A national outrage resulted in the resignation of Justice Minister Donner (CDA) and Mayor Hartog of Haarlemmermeer. Spatial Planning Minister Dekker (VVD) resigned as well, because she bore responsibility for the construction, safety, and maintenance of state-owned buildings.
Schiphol uses a one terminal concept, where all facilities are located under a single roof, radiating from the central 'plaza'. The terminal, though, is divided into three sections or halls designated 1, 2 and 3. To all of these halls, piers or concourses are connected. However, it is possible, on both sides of security or border inspection, to walk from between piers, even those connected to different halls. The exception to this is the low-cost pier M: once airside (past security), passengers cannot access any other areas. Border control separates Schengen from non-Schengen areas. Schiphol Airport has approximately 165 boarding gates.
Schiphol has large shopping areas as a source of revenue and as an additional attraction for passengers. Schiphol Plaza is the shopping centre before customs, hence it is used by air travelers and non-traveling visitors.
Departure Hall 1 consists of Piers B and C, both of which are dedicated Schengen areas. Pier B has 14 gates and Pier C has 21 gates.
Departure Hall 2 consists of Piers D and E.
Pier D is the largest pier and has two levels. The lower floor houses non-Schengen flights, and the upper floor is used for Schengen flights. By using stairs, the same jetways are used to access the aircraft. Schengen gates are numbered beginning with D-59, non-Schengen gates are numbered from D-1 to D-57.
Pier E is a dedicated non-Schengen area and has 14 gates. It is typically home to SkyTeam hub airlines Delta Air Lines and KLM, along with other members, such as China Airlines and China Southern Airlines. Other Middle Eastern and Asian airlines such as EVA Air, Etihad Airways, Iran Air, Air Astana, and Malaysia Airlines also typically operate out of Pier E.
Departure Hall 3 consists of piers F, G, H and M. Pier F has 8 gates and is typically dominated by SkyTeam members such as primary airline KLM, Kenya Airways, and other members, such as China Airlines and China Southern Airlines. Pier G has 13 gates and is the only terminal that handles daily Airbus A380 service, by Emirates. Piers H and M have 7 gates each and are home to low-cost airlines. Piers F, G and H are non-Schengen areas. Pier M is a dedicated Schengen area.
A new General Aviation Terminal was opened in 2011 on the east side of the airport, operated as the KLM Jet Center. The new terminal building has a floorspace of Шаблон:Convert; Шаблон:Convert for the actual terminal and lounges, Шаблон:Convert for office space and Шаблон:Convert for parking. Due to the high traffic volume of Schiphol and the surrounding airspace, a slot must be requested for both inbound and outbound General Aviation flights, with an exception of state, emergency and humanitarian flights.
The Rijksmuseum operates an annex at the airport, offering a small overview of both classical and contemporary art. Admission to the exhibits is free.
In summer 2010, Schiphol Airport Library opened alongside the museum, providing passengers access to a collection of 1,200 books (translated into 29 languages) by Dutch authors or on subjects relating to the country's history and culture. The Шаблон:Convert library offers e-books and music by Dutch artists and composers that can be downloaded free of charge to a laptop or mobile device.
For aviation enthusiasts, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has a large rooftop viewing area, called the Panoramaterras. It is not accessible to connecting passengers unless they first exit the airport. Enthusiasts and the public can enter, free of charge, from the airport's landside. Since June 2011, it is the location for a KLM Cityhopper Fokker 100, modified to be a viewing exhibit. Besides the Panoramaterras, Schiphol has other spotting sites, especially along the newest Polderbaan runway and at the McDonald's restaurant at the north side of the airport.
Schiphol has its own mortuary, where the dead can be handled and kept before departure or after arrival. Since October 2006, people can also hold a wedding ceremony at Schiphol.
Schiphol is building a new state of the art Hilton Hotel, with 433 rooms. The new building designed by the architect firm Mecanoo will have a cube shape, with rounded corners and diamond shaped windows. The spacious atriumШаблон:Disambiguation needed will have a 35 foot high ceiling made of glass, and will be in the heart of the building. A covered walkway will connect the hotel directly to the Terminal. In 2015 the hotel will be completed.
In 2012, Schiphol Group announced a big expansion of Schiphol, featuring a new Pier, an expansion of the Terminal and a new parking garage. Pier A will be part of Departure Hall 1 which already has Pier B (14 gates) and Pier C (21 gates). The new Pier A will have 10 gates. Schiphol wants to build the Pier and the Terminal according to the latest sustainability standards.The first activities are expected to start in 2016 and to be completed in 2018. The expansions will cost about 500 million euros.
The new Pier A will be built next to the Pier B, this place is now used as a freight-platform for planes. The Pier A will mainly be used for flights within Europe. To handle the extra passengers that come with this new Pier, Schiphol will expand the Terminal and build new facilities for check-ins and arrivals. From the new building, direct access will be made to the platforms of the underground railway station. When finished, Schiphol wants to grow to around 65 million passengers in 2020.
The Schiphol air traffic control tower, with a height of Шаблон:Convert, was the tallest in the world when constructed in 1991.Шаблон:Citation needed Schiphol is geographically one of the world's lowest major commercial airports. The entire airport is below sea level; the lowest point sits at Шаблон:Convert below sea level (or Шаблон:Convert below the Dutch Normaal Amsterdams Peil (NAP)); the runways are around Шаблон:Convert below NAP.
Schiphol has six runways, one of which is used mainly by general aviation aircraft. The northern end of the Polderbaan, the last runway to be constructed, is Шаблон:Convert north of the control tower, causing taxi times of up to 20 minutes to the terminal.
| Number | Runway direction/code | Length (in metres and feet) |
Runway common name | Source of the name | Surface | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18R/36L | 3800 m 12 467 ft |
Polderbaan | Decided via contest. 'Polder' is the Dutch word for land reclaimed from a body of water. Schiphol Airport is situated in a polder. | Asphalt | Newest runway, opened 2003. Located to reduce the noise impact on the surrounding population; aircraft have a lengthy 15-minute taxi to and from the Terminal. The intended landing runway for Turkish Airlines Flight 1951, which crashed in a field just short of the runway. |
| 2 | 06/24 | 3500 m 11 483 ft |
Kaagbaan | Named after the Kagerplassen which lies at the end of the runway | Asphalt | The Kaagbaan offered a location for spotters until the spotting location was closed in January 2008. |
| 3 | 09/27 | 3453 m 11 329 ft |
Buitenveldertbaan | Named after Buitenveldert, a part of Amsterdam | Asphalt | El Al Flight 1862 was trying to make an emergency landing on this runway when it crashed into a block of flats in the Bijlmermeer. |
| 4 | 18L/36R | 3400 m 11 155 ft |
Aalsmeerbaan | Named after Aalsmeer | Asphalt | |
| 5 | 18C/36C | 3300 m 10 826 ft |
Zwanenburgbaan | Named after the village Zwanenburg | Asphalt | El Al Flight 1862 took off from this runway before crashing into flats in the Bijlmermeer when the plane was trying to return to the airport. |
| 6 | 04/22 | 2014 m 6608 ft |
Oostbaan | Most Eastern (Oost) of all runways | Asphalt | In October 2010 a B-737 of Corendon Airlines overshot this short runway and ended up with its nosegear in the mud. |
Note: The piers listed are not definite since very few airlines have dedicated piers or gates; the piers listed below are based on typical conditions.
Other regular users of Schiphol are the Dutch Coast Guard whose aircraft are operated by the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the Dienst Luchtvaart Politie and the Dutch Dakota Association.
| Rank | City | Passengers | Top Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London (Heathrow), United Kingdom | 1,443,670 | British Airways, KLM, KLM Cityhopper |
| 2 | Barcelona, Spain | 1,186,682 | KLM, Transavia.com, Vueling |
| 3 | Paris (Charles de Gaulle), France | 1,126,680 | Air France, KLM |
| 4 | Rome (Fiumicino), Italy | 956,580 | Alitalia, easyJet, KLM, Vueling |
| 5 | Copenhagen, Denmark | 805,925 | KLM, KLM Cityhopper, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Scandinavian Airlines |
| 6 | London (Gatwick), United Kingdom | 750,856 | British Airways, easyJet |
| 7 | Madrid, Spain | 748,426 | Air Europa, KLM, Iberia Express |
| 8 | Antalya, Turkey | 745,753 | Arkefly, Corendon Airlines, Corendon Dutch Airlines, Freebird Airlines, Onur Air, Pegasus Airlines, SunExpress, Transavia.com |
| 9 | Frankfurt, Germany | 717,143 | KLM, KLM Cityhopper, Lufthansa |
| 10 | Zürich, Switzerland | 697,658 | KLM, KLM Cityhopper, Swiss International Air Lines |
| 11 | Munich, Germany | 693,233 | KLM, KLM Cityhopper, Lufthansa, Lufthansa Regional |
| 12 |
