Schiphol warns quality improvements ‘come at a cost’
Amsterdam Schiphol has claimed 2023 marked a “turn around” in the airport’s post-pandemic development, with with executives noting recent investments had “paid off”.
The Netherlands hub, which placed a long-extended daily cap on passengers in the wake of the pandemic due to staff shortages, invested “a lot” in 2023 to improve working conditions and increase the number of security personnel.
“Both working at and travelling through Schiphol has considerably improved,” said Royal Schiphol Group CEO Ruud Sondag. “And we are not done yet. We must continue to invest if we want to secure quality for airlines, passengers and employees.”
Schiphol airport saw an 18 per cent year-on-year increase in passenger numbers, welcoming 61.9 million travellers in 2023, while air transport movements increased 11 per cent to 441,969. However, the number of direct routes from the hub decreased 3.8 per cent year-on-year to 305 destinations.
The airport highlighted a 10-point improvement in its Net Promoter Score (NPS), which measures customer satisfaction, as a sign that it is now offering a “better experience” to passengers.
“2023 also marks our turning point in our concerns for our neighbours and the climate,” Sondag added. “The need to reduce noise in the short term, for example by banning night flights, is essential.”
The airport last month announced a “limited reduction” in capacity in 2024 to “relieve pressure” during peak times after the Dutch government’s controversial plans to significantly cut the number of flights allowed from Schiphol were scrapped last November.
Schiphol also marked a return to profit in 2023 with a net result of €101 million, up from a loss of €28 million in 2022.
As part of its 2024 outlook, however, the airport said its recent quality improvements have “come at cost” and that “charging the true cost of airport operations to its users as well as collecting historical settlements via airport charges will be essential to continue Schiphol’s development”.