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Some 66.8 million passengers passed through the hub in 2024
Amelia NeathMonday 24 November 2025 09:45 GMTComments
The additions in blue should be implemented by 2050, according to planning documents (Schipol Airport)
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The Netherlands’ busiest and largest airport, Amsterdam Schiphol, has announced plans for a £8bn renovation project.
Located five miles outside of the capital, the airport is the Netherlands' main aviation hub and a crucial destination for global flight connections. Some 66.8 million passengers passed through the airport in 2024, more than three times the population of the country.
The airport has announced it will invest €10bn (£8.7bn) over the next decade to create a new terminal and renovate existing areas.
In its master plan, the airport detailed that the current terminal size is inadequate for the number of travellers it serves.
More space is needed for quality and resilience, while modernisation is required in the outdated parts of the airport, it said.
The plan offers a vision of how the airport will look by 2050, with details including a new south terminal and increased space for larger aircraft.
The airport also plans to open Pier A, a departure gate area, by 2027, before renovated the existing Piers B, C, D and H/M. Piers are the long, thin buildings that extend from the main terminal, with gates on either side for boarding aircraft.
Renovations also extend to catering facilities, shops, seating areas and lounges to improve the experience of travellers.
The roads around the airport will be upgraded, while public transport will also be improved, including plans for a new metro line between Amsterdam, Schiphol and the town of Hoofddorp.
Schiphol said it will increase sustainability through methods such as utilising electric vehicles during ground handling. It will also introduce TaxiBots, which allow aircraft to move around the apron and runway without switching on their engines.
The airport also said it will also invest in improvements to working conditions.
Ranking at number four in a list of Europe’s busiest airports, Schiphol hopes these changes will see it return to the top three, which is currently held by Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, Turkey’s Istanbul airport and London Heathrow.
Schiphol’s CEO Pieter van Oord commented on the proposed transformation: “For more than a century, Schiphol has been a home for world travellers, a hub for goods and a cornerstone of our economy.
“With our plans for the future, we want to maintain and strengthen that position and contribute to the progress of the Netherlands. Our future can be summed up in two words: quality and balance.”
He added, “This is how we keep the Netherlands moving and make a small country great. With a high-quality airport that serves the Netherlands.”
Read more: Connecting flights at Amsterdam? KLM demands you have an EU-compatible passport
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