A global network
More than 580 companies are active at Schiphol, employing a total of 61,700 people. The biggest employers are klm Royal Dutch Airlines, Martinair and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The airport is the region’s job generator, directly and indirectly benefiting commerce and employment. Because the airport is a gateway to a global network of destinations served with direct air links, the surrounding area is highly attractive for Dutch and foreign companies serving the international market. With 48 million passengers, Schiphol ranked as Europe’s fifth-largest airport in 2007, after London, Paris, Frankfurt and Madrid. That same year, a total of 102 airlines operated scheduled services between Schiphol and 267 cities in 87 countries. In terms of airfreight, Schiphol is also the fourth-largest European airport, handling 1,5 millions tons of freight a year.
The airport
Even before World War II, Schiphol was one of Europe’s key airports. Schiphol therefore became the national airport after 1945. Its original location, now Schiphol-East, soon became too small. The government approved relocation plans in 1961, and six years later the new airport at Schiphol-Center was completed. Owing to the innovative single-terminal concept (all gates are accessible via one building), passengers have repeatedly ranked Schiphol among the world’s best airports. Schiphol-East is still home to a host of aviation-related activities, such as aircraft maintenance. The airport expanded extensively during the 1990s, when the airline industry underwent a spectacular boom. Today, Schiphol also boasts a mall, a museum, places of worship, cafés and sports facilities. It is still one of the world’s most pleasant and best-equipped airports. Schiphol now covers 2,787 hectares, which amounts to 15% of the total municipal surface area.
Striking a balance
Haarlemmermeer is working in close cooperation with the airline industry, government and provincial authorities, and other local municipalities to strike a balance between airport development and the quality of life in surrounding communities. The municipality has pledged to strike a balance between the pros and cons that go with the presence of the airport. In consultation with local residents, the municipality has teamed up with other relevant parties to ensure that the future of the airport is not detached from the future of the surrounding community. The airport creates jobs and has economic benefits for Haarlemmermeer, the broader region, and the Randstad conurbation as a whole. However, air traffic also has negative impact in terms of noise nuisance and spatial restrictions. By means of ongoing dialogue, Haarlemmermeer is striving to bring about noise-abatement measures and to improve compensation schemes and investment in the home, work and living environment.