Ever wonder where the name Schiphol came from? Schiphol Airport is the main international airport of the Netherlands. It’s located just southwest of Amsterdam. Get ready to discover its story.
Schiphol opened as a military airbase on September 16 1916. Civilian aircraft started using the field in 1920. It was sometimes called Schiphol-les-bains back then. By 1940, Schiphol had four asphalt runways at 45-degree angles.
The airport was captured by the German military during World War II. It was renamed Fliegerhorst Schiphol. Allied bombing heavily damaged the airfield. However, it was quickly restored after the war. In 1949, Schiphol became the primary airport of the Netherlands.
The name Schiphol has a contested origin. One theory suggests it means “ship hole.” The Haarlemmermeer was once a large lake where many ships were lost. Another explanation is “ship-haul,” where ships moved between waters. A third idea links it to “scip hol,” a low wetland where wood for ships was extracted.
Schiphol is built on a single-terminal concept. The large terminal splits into three departure halls. A new pier is planned. Schiphol is Europe’s third-busiest airport. It is the world’s eleventh-busiest in terms of passenger traffic.
Schiphol is the principal hub for KLM and its regional affiliate KLM Cityhopper. It also serves as an operating base for other airlines. These include Corendon Dutch Airlines, easyJet, Transavia, TUI fly Netherlands, and Vueling.
In 1991, a new air traffic control tower was completed. The existing tower couldn’t oversee the expanded airport. In 2003, a sixth runway named Polderbaan was added. Taxiing to and from this runway can take 10 to 20 minutes.
Schiphol Airport experienced extraordinarily long delays in the summer of 2022. There was also a large number of cancelled flights. This led to a shortage of security staff and a walkout of baggage handlers.
Schiphol has approximately 223 boarding gates. This includes eighteen double jetway gates for widebody aircraft. The airport features large shopping areas. Schiphol Plaza connects the terminal halls. It also houses the Schiphol Airport railway station.
The Rijksmuseum operates an annex at the airport. It offers a small overview of classical and contemporary art. The Schiphol Airport Library provides passengers with access to books by Dutch authors.
For aviation enthusiasts, Schiphol has a large rooftop viewing area. It’s called the Panoramaterras. Schiphol even has its own mortuary. Here, the dead can be handled and kept before or after arrival.
Schiphol is more than just an airport. It’s a city within a city. From its military beginnings to its modern-day status, Schiphol continues to evolve. It connects the Netherlands to the world.