[LuganoPirate]

I can’t find the link just now, but will add it later, but a new Amsterdam Airport is being built in Lelystad, by expanding the existing airport which is currently used mainly for General Aviation. It seems Schiphol is at full capacity and they need to expand somewhere else.

Lelystad is 45 minutes North (assuming no traffic) of Amsterdam and will be used mainly by the LCC’s.

What I find strange is they do not expand Rotterdam Airport which I think would be more logical. It’s only 25 minutes by train to Amsterdam, and two train lines pass close by so by adding a station the time to Amsterdam would be reduced by about 7 minutes. A major 4/5 lane highway also runs very close by. Rotterdam is a major port and the Netherlands second city. Some argue it’s the first!

Does anyone know anything more?

[capetonianm]

I agree. I’ve used RTM a few times and it’s very convenient other than not having its own railway station.

AMS is certainly showing signs of strain but still one of the best airports in Europe.

[flyingdutchman1]

The Dutch government is doing hardly anything that seems logical to others !
Schiphol is apparently full now as the airport gave all of the last slots away to Ryanair for another 4 flights a day to Dublin and the 22nd flight to Barcelona.
Now they try to get rid of cargo flights to get a bit of space again.
Too many people living in the Rotterdam airport area, better in the polders, only a few farmers to deal with.

[Edski777]

To try to clear a few things.
1. There is no plan for a new Amsterdam airport in the near future. Currently the airport of Lelystad, north east of Amsterdam in one of the famous ’70s polders, is being extended. This airport is due to open for commercial flights in the spring of 2019. The aim of the Dutch government is to “entice” airlines to relocate from Amsterdam Schiphol to Lelystad airport. However a limited number of slots will be available at Lelystad airport and pubic transport connections are still not up to the normal Dutch standard.
A tiny problem may also be that Ryanair has already offered to take up all the available slots. In that case Lelystad Airport will not offer any solace to Amsterdam Schiphol.

2. Amsterdam Schiphol airport is by no means full in terms of technical slots, but is limited due to an agreement between the government and environmental groups and people living near the airport. The current limit allows for 500.000 starts and take-offs per year until 2020. Due to the popularity of Amsterdam Schiphol airport as an international hub (and being LHR’s 3rd runway) and the low cost of flying this limit has been reached much earlier than expected.
On the other hand aircraft have become much quieter so based on more recent calculations (a rather difficult way of making a point) the airport authorities claim there is room for many more slots.
Based on the 6 runways that Amsterdam Schiphol airport has it can accommodate many more slots, if allowed.

3. For the same reason the extension of flights to Rotterdam/The Hague airport or Eindhoven airport is very difficult as well. It seems the Netherlands has to re-negotiate its policies on airport usage. But at least they seem to be working towards a pragmatic solution.

4. Based on the ideas that have been put forward the next new Amsterdam airport might require an island in the North Sea, much like Boris island. It may take a few years to create this, but if there is one country that has the knowledge to pull it off…

5. But don’t hold your breath. First they will be extending Amsterdam Schiphol airport. They actually started this week and plan to deliver by 2021.

[LuganoPirate]

[quote quote=830016]4. Based on the ideas that have been put forward the next new Amsterdam airport might require an island in the North Sea, much like Boris island. It may take a few years to create this, but if there is one country that has the knowledge to pull it off…[/quote]

I’ve been saying this for some time now. I envisage a major hub, 12 runways, with high speed over/under water links from UK, Holland and Belgium, situated in the North Sea. That would release LHR, AMS and Brussels for housing etc.
I’d love an artist to sketch this for me.

[Tom Otley]

Something like this

[Edski777]

Dutch engineers and construction companies have been involved in creating multiple new islands like “The World” and “Palm Island” in Dubai and the New Hong Kong airport.
But they have also extended the Rotterdam harbor by creating new land into the North Sea.
The plan Tom has linked to is from 2012. The economic situation and the airline requirements have increased ever since.

And some on this forum thought that Boris island was another daft idea? Probably the best solution for London indeed. Mr LP seemed to be right again, as so often.

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