Welcome to Schiphol, a continuous work in progress. Lights that give light, moving walkways that move and lifting aids that lift – sounds obvious, but it's a significant undertaking behind the scenes. Every day we do our best to keep the airport running and offer the quality that you as a traveller can expect. There are always renovations going on somewhere at Schiphol. Let's take a look behind the hoardings!
Published on: 7 June 2024
Schiphol is always on the move
With around two hundred thousand travellers per day, almost as many suitcases and all the planes that come and go, our buildings, systems and runways get used a lot. You won't notice it, but over time our tiles wear out, our heating systems become outdated, and our baggage belts revolve less smoothly. Schiphol is always on the move. And to stay on the move, maintenance is essential. That's why we invest a lot of time and money in it.
What goes on behind the hoardings?
Many parts of the airport need to be replaced, renewed and made more sustainable. At Schiphol, we have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to maintenance. A great number of colleagues are working hard on a long list of construction and renovation projects, from moving walkways and passenger bridges to climate control systems and baggage basements. Other projects include our electricity supply, the toilets, rest areas for staff, a new location for car rental and a bicycle storage facility. The list goes on. Over the coming years, there'll always be some part of Schiphol that's under construction. To minimise inconvenience to travellers, a lot of that work goes on behind hoardings.
How does that affect you as a traveller?
A good example is the redevelopment of Lounge 1, the place you go to before flying to a European (Schengen) destination. A lot of work is being done there. We're constructing new restaurants and shops, and adjusting walking routes to relieve bottlenecks so that your travel experience is as pleasant as possible. But until completion, Lounge 1 will be one big building site. During the day you'll see hoardings, and at night you may notice that work is being done behind them. You might hear construction noise, need to walk a longer way round or miss your favourite shop for a while, but little by little the hoardings will give way to something new.
A lot of construction and renovation work is going on outside the terminal too. The bus station is being completely redesigned and we're working on the airport's roads and viaducts. As a result, you may sometimes need to get off the bus at a different stop or take a detour when driving your vehicle. The same goes for the planes, because our taxiways and aircraft stands are being upgraded too.
Schiphol is never finished
Once hoardings have been cleared away from one location, they pop up somewhere else. All this work is necessary to keep the airport running. Schiphol is never finished – we continue to create a better and more sustainable airport for all. So, the next time you walk past hoardings at the airport, you'll know that a lot of hard work is going on behind them to improve your travel experience.