KLM says Schiphol's lust for budget carriers has damaged it

BTN News
Thursday, 12 January 2017

As BTN has reported in the past, accepting large numbers of budget airline customers can threaten airports' growth because on a one-to-one basis, narrow-body jets are not as economical for airports to handle as wide-bodied jets.


Budget airlines' jets need the same time to land and take off as bigger planes, but deliver fewer passengers to pay for airport services including landing/takeoff fees, Customs, Immigration and air traffic control services. On an individual basis, the jets also provide fewer airport shoppers.


Now Netherlands airline KLM says it can no longer grow at its Schiphol, Amsterdam base because the airport has accepted too many budget carrier customers.


Schiphol currently is allowed to grow to 500,000 flight movements by 2020, but if growth continues at today's rate, it could hit that limit before the end of this year.


KLM ceo Pieter Elbers said: "If Schiphol indeed goes on lockdown, we have a problem.


"When we again start investing in new flights and destinations, we risk running into a fix."


According to Elbers, Schiphol was 'too enthusiastic' about attracting budget airlines.


Elbers wants new negotiations with Schiphol, the government and local residents to solve the problem.


Footnote: More than a billion passengers flew globally with budget airlines last year, with a breakdown showing low cost carriers accounted for 32 per cent of all passengers in Europe, 31 per cent in the Asia-Pacific region and 25 per cent in North America.

KLM says Schiphol's lust for budget carriers has damaged it

BTN News
Thursday, 12 January 2017

As BTN has reported in the past, accepting large numbers of budget airline customers can threaten airports' growth because on a one-to-one basis, narrow-body jets are not as economical for airports to handle as wide-bodied jets.


Budget airlines' jets need the same time to land and take off as bigger planes, but deliver fewer passengers to pay for airport services including landing/takeoff fees, Customs, Immigration and air traffic control services. On an individual basis, the jets also provide fewer airport shoppers.


Now Netherlands airline KLM says it can no longer grow at its Schiphol, Amsterdam base because the airport has accepted too many budget carrier customers.


Schiphol currently is allowed to grow to 500,000 flight movements by 2020, but if growth continues at today's rate, it could hit that limit before the end of this year.


KLM ceo Pieter Elbers said: "If Schiphol indeed goes on lockdown, we have a problem.


"When we again start investing in new flights and destinations, we risk running into a fix."


According to Elbers, Schiphol was 'too enthusiastic' about attracting budget airlines.


Elbers wants new negotiations with Schiphol, the government and local residents to solve the problem.


Footnote: More than a billion passengers flew globally with budget airlines last year, with a breakdown showing low cost carriers accounted for 32 per cent of all passengers in Europe, 31 per cent in the Asia-Pacific region and 25 per cent in North America.