On 19 September 1916, the first military aircraft landed on an area of reclaimed land following the draining of the Haarlemmermeer polder. This marked the beginning of Schiphol's status as a military airfield. KLM's first passenger flights in 1920 began the process of transforming Schiphol from a military airfield into a civil airport.
The operation of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the main activitiy of Royal Schiphol Group. In addition, we own and operate both Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Lelystad Airport and hold a majority share in Eindhoven Airport. We also have a share in and/or collaborate closely with a broad range of international airports.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the aviation sector. In 2020 our Dutch airports welcomed 23.5 million passengers (2019: 80.5 million) and processed 1.44 million tonnes of cargo (2019: 1.57 million tonnes). Schiphol connects the Netherlands with 316 direct destinations. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in 2020 was the fourth largest airport in Europe in passenger volumes – behind Istanbul, Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Heathrow. In cargo volumes we are number three in Europa.The ambition of Schiphol Group is to create the world’s most sustainable, high quality airports.
In 2020, our core activities were executed by four business areas.
Connecting the Netherlands is not a task we can perform on our own. We work in association with sector partners such as airlines, ground handlers, air traffic controllers, Customs and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. In collaboration with public transport companies, government bodies and our business partners, we have developed our airports into efficient hubs and attractive visitor and work locations.
Duurzaamheid is cruciaal voor onze toekomstbestendigheid en voor onze dagelijkse bedrijfsvoering. Schiphol wil in 2030 een zero waste en een zero emissions airport zijn. Quality of Life – Kwaliteit van de leefomgeving – is een van de drie strategische pijlers van onze Visie 2050.
We zijn ons bewust van de impact die onze luchtvaartactiviteiten hebben. Samen met onze stakeholders werken we voortdurend aan het minimaliseren van de hinder en we investeren in het versterken van de leefbaarheid van de regio. We zoeken naar innovatieve oplossingen waarmee we verder kunnen verduurzamen en die onze positie als mainport op de lange duur veilig stellen.
In 2020, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol received awards in a variety of areas.
Skytrax World Airport Awards: Best Airport in Western Europe in 2019. Schiphol also was awarded for the best website and digital services.
Business Traveller UK: Best European Airport (31th consecutive year)
Global Traveler Award USA: Best airport in Europe (3rd consecutive year)
Canadian Travel Agents’ Choice Awards: Favourite International Airport (16th consecutive year)
Asian Freight Logistics and Supply Chain Awards: Best Airport Europe
Trazee Travel: Favorite Airport in Europe