Schiphol bases the determined compensation on a number of factors, including the type of flight, the time of departure and arrival, the location of the parking and the noise category of the aircraft.
Schiphol has announced new airport charges, and the reactions from the aviation sector leave no room for doubt: the hefty increase of 41 percent is not well received by many. Marcel de Nooijer, CEO of Transavia, responded to the news with sharp words via his social media. “This increase is completely out of proportion,” he says, pointing out that the charges have already increased by almost 40 percent in the past three years. According to De Nooijer, Schiphol is in danger of becoming “the most expensive airport in the European Union.”
Airport fees, the charges that airlines pay to airports for the use of their facilities, are a key factor in the cost structure of airlines. These fees cover costs such as landing, parking and take-off, and can vary based on factors such as aircraft weight, passenger numbers and noise levels. Many airports have differentiated fees to encourage airlines to use quieter, more energy-efficient aircraft, which can operate at lower rates.
night landings
However, according to De Nooijer, Schiphol does not seem to show any appreciation for these environmentally friendly and modern choices. “The height of the new tariff increases at night are beyond all reasonableness,” according to the CEO of Transavia. The costs for night landings are rising considerably, while Transavia is actually striving to use quieter, more modern aircraft. “We want to keep flying accessible and use the newest, quietest aircraft, but an increase like this hits a 'home-based carrier' like Transavia hard. Fleet renewal should be rewarded and encouraged, not punished.”
Although De Nooijer acknowledges that investments in Schiphol are necessary, he calls the airport's current investment plans "too ambitious". He points to the past, in which projects often turned out to be more expensive than planned. "There is great concern that the projects will not be delivered on time and will turn out to be even more expensive," he adds. Transavia therefore urges Schiphol to moderate the rates, to take a critical look at the size of the investment agenda and to use more of its own resources to limit the increase for airlines.
Although De Nooijer acknowledges that investments in Schiphol are necessary, he calls the airport's current investment plans "too ambitious".
However, Schiphol defends the tariff increases as necessary. The airport emphasizes that airlines will have to pay an average of 2027 euros more per departing passenger from 15, which according to Schiphol is mainly due to high inflation and increased interest rates in recent years. As compensation, Schiphol itself is contributing 100 million euros to moderate the tariffs somewhat and fix them for the next three years. The airport also emphasizes that the tariffs have been set according to legal rules: they must be based on costs and may not have a profit motive. Cost items such as personnel, maintenance, security and cleaning are covered by these tariffs, according to Schiphol.
most expensive in Europe
Nevertheless, the aviation sector remains critical. Industry organization barin, which represents several airlines, expresses its disappointment about the increase. “This makes Schiphol one of the most expensive airports in Europe,” the organization states. Chairman Marnix Fruitema of Barin agrees that investments in quality are important, but he warns that the costs for airlines have “gone way too far”. Fruitema also expresses his concern that the planned investment budget might not be sufficient, referring to the notorious delays and cost overruns in the construction of the new A-pier at Schiphol.
Marjan Rintel, CEO of KLM, also spoke out about the announced fare increases. She warns that higher fares will lead to more expensive tickets, which could weaken Schiphol's competitive position as an international hub. "With all the associated risks for the hub function, the connectedness of the Netherlands and our economy," says Rintel. Nevertheless, she acknowledges that improvements in airport facilities are essential for travellers and that these plans could be a step in the right direction, provided that the costs remain within limits.
The debate about the new port tariffs shows the tensions between the necessary investments in infrastructure and the pressure to continue to offer affordable air services. For airlines such as Transavia and KLM, which connect the Netherlands to destinations all over the world, the increased costs pose a threat to the accessibility of flying for consumers. Schiphol is on the eve of crucial decisions that will not only affect the price of airline tickets, but also the image of the Netherlands as an aviation hub.
The document "Determination of Rates and Conditions October 2024" of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol sets out detailed rules, fees and conditions for the use of the airport by airlines and other users. With this, Schiphol introduces a new structure for the rates and conditions that will apply from 1 April 2025 to 2027.
For aircraft departing during the day and from a so-called “connected stand”, a basic fee of 250% of the standard costs applies, while night flights and cargo flights can have lower rates. The rates for these categories are adjusted annually and set for the period 2025-2027.
sound categories
The noise categories of aircraft play a major role in the amount of compensation that airlines are required to pay. For example, aircraft are categorised from S1 (the loudest category) to S7 (the quietest category). Quieter aircraft pay significantly lower fees for landings and take-offs, while aircraft with a higher noise production, especially during night flights, have to pay a higher fee. The system is designed to encourage airlines to fly with quieter aircraft, with which Schiphol is trying to promote cleaner and quieter aviation.
In addition to noise-related fees, Schiphol has also introduced an emission fee. For every take-off and landing, a fee of €4,00 per kilogram of NOx emission is charged, a measure intended to limit nitrogen oxide emissions and encourage airlines to use cleaner aircraft. If the aircraft type in question is not included in the ICAO Aircraft Emissions Databank, users must supply their emission data themselves.
The costs for passengers depend on the number of local boarding passengers and transit passengers. For Schiphol Centre, a Passenger Service Charge of €29,75 is charged per local boarding passenger and €12,49 for each departing transit passenger. At Schiphol East, these rates are slightly lower. In addition, airlines are required to report passenger data accurately to Schiphol in order to calculate the correct fees and optimise operational processes. Failure to provide data on time or incorrectly may result in fines or higher fees, calculated on the basis of the maximum seating capacity of the aircraft type.
Park
For parking aircraft on the site, different rates apply per day, depending on the weight of the aircraft. For the first day, a parking rate of €3,70 per 1.000 kilograms applies, with exemptions during certain hours of the night and for parking times shorter than six hours. This rate is also adjusted annually, taking into account inflation and operational costs.
An important change is the new levy under the Schiphol Facade Insulation Scheme (GIS), which imposes a noise surcharge to finance the costs of facade insulation of surrounding homes. This surcharge, which started on 1 November 2024, is calculated based on the noise production of the aircraft, with aircraft with higher noise levels paying higher rates. With this levy, Schiphol wants to contribute to better noise protection for local residents.
In addition to the standard fees and surcharges, the document also contains rules for the slot allocation fee, a fee that airlines pay for the allocation of take-off and landing rights. This charge is reviewed and invoiced annually by the contracted airport Schiphol in cooperation with Airport Coordination Netherlands (ACNL).
