One of Europe’s busiest airports to get £8.7billion renovation including a brand new terminal
A MAJOR airport hub that sees around 60million passengers per year has revealed its massive new masterplan.
It will spend £8.7billion over the next 10 years to expand adding a new terminal, piers, as well as gates for larger aircraft.
Amsterdam Schiphol is the largest airport in the Netherlands and a major European hub.
Currently, the airport only has one terminal, but the new masterplan reveals a south terminal is set to be built.
However Amsterdam Schiphol said that the airport will ‘retain its unique design and one-terminal concept’ with ‘everything under one roof’ and ‘within walking distance’.
It was also added that additional gates will be needed for the largest aircraft.
Inside, there will be more space for additional shops, restaurants, seating areas and lounges.
Nearby, the roads around the airport will be upgraded along with public transport to the terminal.
Other plans include a new metro line between Amsterdam, Schiphol and the nearby town of Hoofddorp.
Work to upgrade the airport first started last year with the initial project upgrading Pier A as well Piers B, C, D and H/M.
Airport piers are also known as “arms” and are long, narrow buildings where planes can park.
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.”
He continued: “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.”
It’s currently the fourth busiest airport in Europe; in 2024, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport handled 66.8 million passengers.
It was named the third best airport in Western Europe at this year’s Skytrax World Airport Awards.
One airport being built in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia will be the world’s biggest once built.
King Salman International Airport is set to surpass all other airports in size, including the current biggest airport in the world which is also in the country.
The 22sqm airport will feature six runways – up from two – parallel to each other and will be built around the existing King Khalid International Airport.
It will approximately be the same size as Manhattan in New York – or twice the size of the city of Bath in the UK.
The airport has moved into its construction phase and will be designed by Foster + Partners, a UK firm which is behind London‘s Gherkin.
Inside, travellers will be able to explore 4.6sqm of shops. A lot of features in the airport are set to include high tech, such as climate-controlled lighted.
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