Blog  ·  3 October 2023Neighbour Days 2023 full of info and spectacle

While this is a recurring event, it had been four years since the previous Schiphol Neighbour Days. First it was two years of the coronavirus pandemic that put a spanner in the works. And last year, the hectic spring and summer season led to our decision to fully focus on the operation and to therefore cancel the event.

Thankfully, all that is behind us now and we were once again able to welcome our neighbours. Which is something we like to do in order to stay connected with our local environment and to listen to the issues at hand. And at the same time, we can show what we're up to. We're very aware of our impact and realise that Schiphol needs to be quieter, cleaner and better.

Those who wanted to know more about this were in for a treat at the extensive information market. We (along with many other players in the aviation sector) told our story in the building where the snow fleet is usually parked. Air Traffic Control the Netherlands, Dutch Customs, the Schiphol Fund, the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre, KLM, MBO College Airport, DeNoize and many others joined us in engaging with visitors and answering their questions.

The snow fleet was parked outside. Visitors of all ages made use of the opportunity to get behind the wheel of these impressive machines that help us to keep the runways free from snow during the winter.

Volunteer Carola, busy stocking up on the Schiphol water bottles that visitors could take home with them, was pleased with how the day went. 'Great fun, I'm seeing lots of happy faces. It's also nice to see all the children enjoying the spectacle.'

Talking about spectacle, the fire brigade gave a demonstration at the nearby firefighter training site. Judging by the amount of oohhs and aahhs heard as flames leapt metres into the air from the engine of the training aircraft, the audience was impressed. Fortunately, we have an excellent crew who quickly brought the fire back under control.

10-year-old Krijn from Aalsmeer was also impressed. He was with his father Harold and his mother Minke, and this was their first time at the Neighbour Days. He enjoyed the demonstration. 'But also, when I could scan my father as a security officer, I really liked that,' he says enthusiastically. Mum and dad enjoyed the day out too. 'We sometimes see the training aircraft in flames when driving along the motorway, it's great to see it up close now.'

To sum up, the Schiphol Neighbour Days 2023 will go down in the books as an extremely successful event. Want to relive the experience? You can watch the video below. If you, as a neighbour, would like to stay up to date with developments and activities at Schiphol (including the Neighbour Days) sign up for the Neighbour Newsletter.