Schiphol maintains 60-euro passenger fee amid rising travel numbers

Schiphol will keep its airport charges at the current level in the coming years. Airlines currently pay an average of 60 euros per passenger to use the airport, and that rate will remain in place until 2030, according to CFO Robert Carsouw, who spoke at a press conference after the release of the annual figures.

In the previous year, Schiphol increased its airport fees by 41 percent, a move that sparked strong criticism from airlines. Carsouw argued that the tariffs had long been set too low. He added that Schiphol’s current rates are on par with Frankfurt Airport and remain well below those charged by Heathrow Airport.

“It is a clear signal to airlines that we are now at the level we should be, neither too low nor too high,” Carsouw said. Schiphol says the airport has now achieved a “prudent balance” between its charges and investment plans.

The revenue from airport charges helps fund Schiphol’s extensive investment program. Despite those spending plans, the company will distribute 162 million euros in dividends to its shareholders for 2025. Its main shareholder is the Netherlands’ national government.

This year, Schiphol anticipates continued growth in passenger traffic, projecting 68 to 72 million travelers. If realized, this would bring the airport back above pre-COVID levels for the first time. In 2019, a record 71.7 million passengers passed through Schiphol.

Passenger numbers at the Netherlands’ busiest airport may grow partly because of the introduction of bigger, more efficient airplanes. For 2026, Schiphol has set a cap of 478,000 flight operations.

In 2025, Schiphol managed 477,552 flights, up 1 percent from the previous year, carrying 68.8 million passengers in total. Together with Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, Heathrow Airport, and Frankfurt Airport, Schiphol remains one of the busiest airports in Western Europe.

Schiphol Group, which includes not only Amsterdam Airport but also Eindhoven Airport, Rotterdam The Hague Airport, and Lelystad Airport, reported another positive result last year, according to its annual figures released Friday. Profit increased to 551 million euros from 418 million euros the year before, while revenues grew by almost 25 percent, reaching nearly 2.8 billion euros.

“The 2025 results show that demand for air travel continues to be strong,” the airport operator stated.

Schiphol has once more committed to major investments. Over 1 billion euros were invested last year in airport improvements, including addressing deferred maintenance. The company aims to invest a total of 10 billion euros by 2035.

“We are investing more than ever to bring Schiphol back into Europe’s top three airports,” CFO Robert Carsouw explained in a statement on the results. “At the same time, we need to keep Schiphol affordable for both airlines and passengers to maintain efficient connections between the Netherlands and the rest of the world. This is why we carefully balance our investments with the fees we charge.”

Passenger numbers at Schiphol are projected to grow far more than expected in the coming decades, reaching 109 million annually by 2060, regardless of any downturns. If current growth limits are removed, the figure could soar to 230 million, according to research by Significance reported in Het Parool.

The independent research firm Significance produced future projections for the government. Their forecasts suggest that in 35 years, Schiphol could see 93 to 95 million passengers annually under low economic growth, rising to 109 million under high growth. This growth is largely fueled by global population increases, greater travel demand, rising incomes, and the expansion of international trade.

Schiphol described the start of this year as “not a good example of the quality we aim to provide to travelers,” CEO Pieter van Oord said Friday while discussing the airport’s annual results. He was referring to the extended disruptions caused by winter storms in early January, which forced the cancellation of numerous flights and impacted hundreds of thousands of passengers.

Van Oord acknowledged, “This disruption was extremely frustrating for travelers, and we understand that many passengers were disappointed.” Together with KLM, Schiphol is carrying out independent research into the winter weather disruptions and possible improvements. The airport hopes to submit the report to the minister by the end of March, he said.

Schiphol highlighted passenger satisfaction in its annual report, noting that it reached its highest level in years in 2025. The airport said this demonstrates that its significant investments in upgrading facilities are beginning to yield results.