On Thursday, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) announced that airlines will have to pay more to fly in and out of the airport — and airlines will likely pass the buck to passengers by making it more expensive to fly there.
Airline fees are set to rise by at least 37% over the next three years, resulting in an average increase of 15 euros ($16.29 at the current exchange rate) for short-haul flights. The airport said nighttime flights will be approximately three to six times more expensive than daytime flights, depending on the aircraft type.
“The increase in charges is driven by exceptionally high inflation and sharply increased interest rates over the past three years,” Amsterdam Airport Schiphol said in a press release. “As follows from the law, the charges also include compensation for the losses made during the pandemic years.”
Charges will grow by 41% in 2025 and 5% in 2026 and then decrease by 7.5% in 2027. With those fees in play, the airport expects to spend about 6 billion euros ($6.51 billion) on planned maintenance and improvements over the next five years.
“With these charges, Schiphol is making the necessary investments in good infrastructure, better services for passengers and airlines and improved working conditions possible,” the airport said.
Schiphol also plans to use the fees to combat certain “noisier” airplanes in 2025. Schiphol will invest in noise reduction and encourage airlines to fly newer, quieter planes. Certain models of older, more thunderous planes will be banned in 2025.
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Airport fees are legislated every three years by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, so flyers can expect these charges to remain consistent through at least 2028. With these new changes, Schiphol becomes the second-most expensive airport in Europe, according to KLM, the national airline of the Netherlands.
“As the costs of setbacks at Schiphol are passed on to airlines, higher ticket prices for travelers are inevitable,” KLM said in a statement.
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