War and winter weather result in over 9,100 fewer flights at Schiphol

Schiphol handled over 9,100 fewer flights in the first half of this year than in the same period a year earlier. Thousands of flights were canceled due to snow and winter weather, followed by restrictions on air traffic due to the war in the Middle East.

The number of flights to and from Schiphol fell by 4 percent in the first six months of 2026 to 223,597 aircraft movements. However, the planes were fuller. The average number of travelers per flight increased.

According to Schiphol, this confirms the expectation “that the number of travelers will continue to increase, even with the same number of aircraft movements.” The airport expects the number of travelers to rise to at least 90 million per year by 2050.

In April, Schiphol offered airlines a temporary discount of over 10 percent on airport usage fees because costs for airlines had risen unexpectedly and sharply due to the situation in the Middle East and the resulting high kerosene prices. This discount had a temporary negative impact of €37 million on Schiphol’s financial result in the first half of the year.

Schiphol’s revenues increased, and the net result rose to €207 million in the first half of the year, from €201 million in the first six months of 2025.

This is offset by a negative cash flow of €464 million following investments. Schiphol is investing hundreds of millions into improving the quality of the airport. In the first six months of this year, this involved a record amount of €801 million in investments.

“We are renewing our infrastructure and improving the travel experience and working conditions,” said CEO Pieter van Oord in a commentary on the figures. “At the same time, we are working hard on a quieter and cleaner airport.”

"We are investing more than ever in the quality of our airports. To keep Dutch aviation strong, we maintain the right balance between affordability and accessibility," said Chief Financial Officer Robert Carsouw. That is why airlines, for example, received the temporary discount.

For the time being, however, Schiphol is spending more money than it is receiving. "We raised necessary additional financing through a successful bond issuance," said Carsouw. "Solid finances remain essential to modernize Schiphol and to remain valuable to the Dutch economy."