Key events in 2018: Events that
characterised
the reporting year

First quarter

21 February

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W) announces its decision to postpone the opening of Lelystad Airport to commercial leisure traffic. The airport is now expected to open in 2020.

1 March

Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) is installed at Pier G at Schiphol. The new system is expected to lower the pier’s CO₂ emissions by approximately 84%.

16 March

Royal Schiphol Group donates 214,700 euros to Amref Flying Doctors, using money received from collection points in the Schiphol terminal and employee fundraising activities.

25 March

Major maintenance begins at runway 18R-36L, ‘the Polderbaan’. Neighbouring residents are invited to visit the runway on 7 April, with work completing the following week.

28 March

Completion of work to extend the runway, taxiways and platform at Lelystad Airport.

28 March

100 electric buses are added to the Connexxion public transport network linking Schiphol to the surrounding region, creating the largest zero-emissions bus fleet in Europe.

Second quarter

1 April

Opening of the P4 parking facility with 2,500 parking spaces. Later in April, work begins on the extension of the P3 parking garage, scheduled to open in March 2019.

9 April

Rebuilding work begins on the parking facility and office building at Eindhoven Airport.

11 April

The contract to develop the new pier at Schiphol is awarded to a joint venture between Ballast Nedam and TAV Construction.

16 April

The new Eneco Autena wind farm supplying green energy to the Group’s airports opens. By January 2020, the airports’ entire power supply will be generated by newly constructed Dutch wind farms.

29 April

A voltage drop in TenneT's high-voltage grid results in a power interruption at Schiphol, causing significant disruption to flights and passengers. The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) is commissioned to conduct an investigation, and Schiphol immediately follows up on its findings.

1 May

Dick Benschop is installed as Royal Schiphol Group CEO. He succeeds Jos Nijhuis, who held the position since 1 January 2009.

Third quarter

2 July

Schiphol and its Integral Safety Management System (ISMS) partners sign the ‘Safety Improvement Schiphol’ covenant with the Ministry of I&W.

12 July

The new air traffic control tower is opened at Lelystad Airport.

13-23 July

Runway 18R-36L, ‘the Polderbaan’, is taken out of use due to unplanned taxiway maintenance works, resulting in a record number of complaints by neighbouring residents.

15 August

Groundwork activities at Schiphol cause the ATC communication systems to fail, bringing all air traffic to a temporary halt.

30 August

BAM, Heijmans and VolkerWessels are selected as main contractors for major construction, renovation and infrastructure maintenance projects at Schiphol, establishing them as strategic partners for the next nine years.

6 September

The outer structure of the new terminal at Lelystad Airport is completed. The terminal will be the first in Europe to be awarded an LEED Gold certificate.

Fourth quarter

3 October

The Dutch aviation sector presents its ‘Smart and Sustainable’ action plan to the Ministry of I&W. Twenty transport organisations and knowledge institutions join forces to make aviation more sustainable.

11 October

The post-2019 development of Eindhoven Airport is announced as a test case for the new Aviation White Paper, in which the Ministry of I&W will offer its perspective on the future of aviation development in the Netherlands.

24 October

Royal Schiphol Group launches and prices 500 million euros in green bonds to invest in clean transportation and green buildings at its airports. Schiphol is the first European airport (and only the second worldwide) to issue a green bond.

30 October

The ISMS partners publish the Roadmap for Safety Improvement at Schiphol online, making the proposed safety measures visible to the public, as well as the progress made towards implementing them.

31 October

Schiphol publishes its new airport charges, effective 1 April 2019. Included in the charges are further financial incentives for airlines to use cleaner and quieter aircraft at Schiphol.

5 November

Rotterdam The Hague Airport launches FLEET, the world’s most innovative automated baggage system.

5 November

Ryanair closes its base at Eindhoven Airport, with the airline maintaining the majority of its routes to and from the airport.

29 November

The draft Environmental Impact Assessment (MER) for Schiphol is presented to the Schiphol Local Community Council (ORS). The assessment shows the effects of the new environmental standards, implemented via an amendment to the existing Airport Traffic Ruling.

1 December

Schiphol Real Estate and Microsoft open the refurbished Outlook building, the first SMART office building at Schiphol.

8 December

Aviation Day, an event organised by the ORS and the Ministry of I&W, takes place in Amsterdam. The event forms part of an extensive public consultation providing input for the Aviation Act and for the ORS’s advice regarding Schiphol’s post-2020 development.