Schiphol is having a glow-up, investing more money into the improvement of staff, maintenance, and renewals. The only catch? Ticket prices will likely skyrocket as a consequence. 😬
Projections predict that the Amsterdam-based airport will be jam-packed with between 60 and 64 million travellers this year. However, the airport is built to support fewer people — hence why it needs to be renovated in order to allow for newcomers, NU.nl reports.
The dream of a new Schiphol
Interim CEO Ruud Sondag and financial CEO Robert Carsouw discussed their vision for how they will reinvent Schiphol during a recent press conference.
Apparently, the lack of staff was to thank for the infamous queueing times at Schiphol. But that is about to change.
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The goal is to increase the size of luggage cellars, and hire more personnel — including 1,050 new security guards thus far.
Upgrading at what price?
If this all sounds too good to be true, that’s because, well, it kind of is. Now that staff salaries will be increased, so will the prices of flights. 🥲
Not only that, but airport charges will creep up by tens of percents over the next few years — something the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) deems “not unreasonable”, in spite of the airlines protesting.
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Meanwhile, CEO Sondag insists that the price increase is proportional to the airport’s improvement in quality, dismissing the costly side effects as a “logical consequence”. No such thing as a free lunch, right?
Do you believe Schiphol’s new plan is worth it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Had Schiphol been underpriced, then yes an uplift would make sense. However since it has not been underpriced but perhaps mismanaged, to place the cost burden on the consumer further underscores the lack of accountability.
“Tens of percent” implies at least a 20-30% increase over a short period. Given the number of international students in the Netherlands, further seems like it will be an unfair burden for them to bear given how the region is already pricing itself out of competition. It was the international tax breaks, fair cost of living and access to quality post-secondary education that drove a lot of NL prosperity over the past 20 years. Those first two factors have diminished significantly and though education is still there, if living/studying here become impractical and tax structures mean companies may move their regional HQ to more tax advantageous countries, could look for a downturn – which means you’re building a pricey airport for a diminishing population.
Ultimately I believe that the glib, as it is presented in this article, attitude of Schiphol leadership highlights the lack of accountability for mismanagement.