Lelystad Airport to expand

Lelystad Airport is getting permission to expand. State Secretary of Aviation Wilma Mansveld will report this to Council of Ministers on Friday.

The largest airport for general aviation in the Netherlands, Lelystad Airport's expansion is meant to take some pressure off Schiphol, by handling more vacation flights. By 2018 the airport should be able to handle 45,000 flights and 6.7 million passengers per year.

In 2017 the extension of the runway -from 1,250 meters to 2,400 meters- will start, with a €90 million investment by Schiphol, which operates Lelystad Airport. Earlier the cabinet paid € 50 million to improve the accessibility to the airport; the municipality is investing another €20 in these road improvements.

An extended runway is meant to fit the airport for vacation flights from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Larger flights will continue to be handled at Schiphol.

From 2018 on the airport intends to reach for 1.5 million passengers by 2023 and 3.7 million in 2033. Schiphol had said earlier that it expects profits from its investments by 2028.