Schiphol confirms plans to raise airport fees by nearly 15% next year

Schiphol will raise its take-off and landing fees by 14.8 percent in 2024. The increase is intended to help absorb the financial blow brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the airport announced on Friday in a press release.

Schiphol stated that the higher rates are necessary to compensate for the income lost in 2022 due to decreased air traffic, which was a consequence of the Covid-19 travel restrictions that led to fewer airline flights.

'We've notified the airlines and understand that they're not very pleased. At the same time, it's necessary for the quality at Schiphol and for our financial position. It's also how the legislation works,” said Schiphol's CFO Robert Carsouw. “In good years we are not allowed to profit from airport charges and so in bad years we cannot afford any losses,” he added.

The regulation of airport charges at Schiphol is governed by strict legislation that prohibits Schiphol from profiting from these charges. Should the revenue from airport charges exceed the costs of servicing the airlines, the surplus must be returned to the airlines.

The airport charges paid by airlines to Schiphol are used for the maintenance and provision of facilities and services that the airlines use, including runway upkeep, security, terminal maintenance, and cleaning.

Last week, airlines responded angrily to the announcement that Schiphol wanted to charge them for the privilege of taking off and landing at the Amsterdam airport. The Dutch airline trade association, BARIN, criticized this as an unfair distribution of the burden.

Several airlines are suing the airport over the tariff hikes. The sector had already lodged a complaint with the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) two years ago, but the regulator dismissed it. KLM, easyJet, and the trade organization IATA have since asked the Trade Appeals Board (CBb) to review that decision.

KLM CEO Marjan Rintel recently warned that flight tickets are likely to become more expensive, partly due to these higher fees. The rise in airline ticket prices is attributed to accumulating environmental and aviation taxes, as well as the downsizing of Schiphol Airport.