Royal Schiphol Group invested a record €801 million in its airports during the first half of 2026, the highest amount ever invested by the group over a six-month period.
The investment comes as Amsterdam Airport Schiphol continues a major infrastructure renewal programme while navigating geopolitical disruption, higher aviation costs and changing traffic patterns.
A total of 37.3 million passengers travelled through Royal Schiphol Group’s Dutch airports during the first six months of the year, up 0.3% from 37.2 million in the same period of 2025.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol accounted for 32.7 million passengers, slightly below the 32.8 million recorded a year earlier.
Despite fewer flights, the average number of passengers carried per flight increased.
“Demand for aviation remains high, even during a period of geopolitical uncertainty,” said Royal Schiphol Group CEO Pieter van Oord. “This underlines the importance of strong international connectivity for travellers, businesses and the Netherlands.”
Schiphol Accelerates €10 Billion Investment Programme
The record €801 million invested during the first half forms part of Schiphol’s wider plan to invest €10 billion in the renewal of the airport between 2025 and 2035.
Projects during the period included work to address overdue maintenance, completion of the A Pier and investments in additional electricity capacity to support airport electrification.
Schiphol also paid €317 million as part of an agreement with KLM to relocate several buildings connected with the implementation of the Schiphol Centre Master Plan.
The airport is also investing between €35 million and €40 million to prepare Lelystad Airport for planned commercial passenger operations.
Following a decision by the Dutch government to open the airport to commercial traffic, Schiphol is preparing for passenger flights to begin in November 2027.
Middle East Conflict Impacts Traffic and Financial Results
Schiphol recorded 223,597 aircraft movements during the first half of 2026, down 4% from 232,709 during the same period last year.
Operations were initially affected by severe winter weather, which resulted in several thousand flight cancellations.
Traffic was subsequently impacted by restrictions related to the conflict in the Middle East and a sharp increase in jet fuel prices.
Schiphol introduced a temporary discount on airport charges to help airlines maintain routes and preserve international connectivity. The measure had a €37 million negative impact on the airport’s first-half financial results.
Traffic recovered during the second quarter.
Schiphol Reports €215 Million Underlying Net Result
Royal Schiphol Group reported revenue of €1.333 billion for the first half of 2026, up 5.6% from €1.262 billion a year earlier.
Underlying EBITDA increased from €476 million to €484 million, while the underlying operating result rose from €279 million to €297 million.
The group recorded an underlying net result of €215 million, broadly unchanged from €214 million in the first half of 2025.
However, the scale of Schiphol’s investment programme resulted in negative cash flow after capital expenditure and other investments of €464 million.
In March, the airport raised an additional €500 million through a bond issue to support its investment programme.
Quieter Aircraft Account for 38% of Flights
Schiphol also reported continued growth in the proportion of newer and quieter aircraft operating at the airport.
During the first half of 2026, 38% of flights were operated by aircraft in the airport’s two quietest charging categories, up from 29% during the same period last year.
Schiphol attributes part of the shift to its differentiated airport charging system introduced in 2025, which provides financial incentives for airlines to operate quieter aircraft while discouraging noisier operations, particularly at night.
Noise measurements around the airport indicate that the average noise level generated by air traffic in 2025 was approximately two decibels lower than in 2018.
New-generation aircraft including the Airbus A320neo, A321neo, A330neo and A350, as well as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, are contributing to the trend as airlines continue renewing their fleets.
According to Schiphol, newer aircraft types have been measured at between three and five decibels quieter on departure than some of the older aircraft they replace.
Schiphol Maintains Direct Connections to 301 Destinations
Amsterdam Schiphol provided nonstop connections to 301 destinations worldwide during the first half of the year, including 122 intercontinental destinations.
New destinations were added in markets including Armenia, Montenegro and Vietnam.
The airport also welcomed several new airlines, including FlyOne Armenia, LATAM Airlines Brasil, Middle East Airlines, Syrian Air, Thai Airways and Vietnam Airlines.
Cargo activity increased despite the overall decline in aircraft movements.
Schiphol handled approximately 800,000 tonnes of cargo, representing a 10% year-on-year increase.
The airport recorded 8,160 full freighter flights, up 8% compared with the first half of 2025. Full freighters accounted for 58% of total cargo volumes, while the remaining 42% was transported in the holds of passenger aircraft.
Schiphol expects long-term passenger demand to continue growing and forecasts that annual passenger numbers could reach at least 90 million by 2050.
The airport says its ongoing infrastructure investment programme is intended to prepare for that growth while improving operational reliability, passenger experience, working conditions and the environmental impact of aviation.
