Schiphol Airport outlines billion-euro renovation to improve airport design and functionality
Schiphol welcomed 61.7 million travelers in 2023; PAX numbers are expected to increase as post-pandemic travel continues to grow
In an era where air travel demands are rapidly evolving, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is embarking on an ambitious journey of transformation. With a commitment to invest over a billion euros annually until 2030, Royal Schiphol Group (Schiphol) is not just addressing past shortcomings but reimagining the very essence of what an airport can be.
This comprehensive overhaul aims to elevate Schiphol from its current position to once again stand among Europe’s premier airports.
Tim de Bie, Director Commercial Terminal at Royal Schiphol Group
Legacy of growth
The root of Schiphol’s current renovations lies in its past success. Tim de Bie, Director Commercial Terminal at Royal Schiphol Group, reflects on the airport’s previous strategy. “In the last decades, Schiphol pursued a strategy of growing passenger numbers to a great extent by facilitating the airlines. We succeeded in that strategy, almost doubling the number of passengers over 10 years.”
However, hindsight shows this focus on expansion did not come without cost. The pursuit of growth led to decisions that prioritized short-term gains over long-term sustainability. “We made some decisions to take assets beyond their normal lifespan, and we did not invest enough in the terminal as a whole. This resulted in a deficit and backlog in renovations that should have been taking place during the past five years,” he shares.
The billion-euro solution
Recognizing the need for substantial intervention, Schiphol has launched an extensive investment program. “We have a lot of catching up to do. Until 2030, we will invest well over a billion [euros] a year in basically maintaining and renewing all those assets we should have done in the past,” de Bie says.
This program is comprehensive, touching every aspect of the airport experience. “It contains things like replacing all elevators and moving walkways. It also includes all the waiting areas for passengers and airport personnel,” he adds.
At the heart of Schiphol’s transformation is a renewed focus on passenger satisfaction. The airport’s current standing among its European peers has been a wake-up call. “In line with not investing enough in our airport, we saw a decline in our competitive position, now being at the bottom of the pack of the European benchmark airports,” de Bie reveals. “The aim is to be back in the top three within three years, and therefore, a huge investment in the passenger experience will take place.” The approach to achieving this goal starts with the basics: security processes, smooth wayfinding, having clean toilets and having enough electricity sockets at the gate, for example.
Six pillars
De Bie explains that his team has defined six strategic pillars that form the foundation of Schiphol’s retail and F&B (food and beverage) vision. “One is improving the core categories. The second is improving the F&B quality. The third is improving the luxury proposition,” he says. “The fourth is the price perception. Can we offer much more value for money? And then the fifth is sustainability; it will impact a lot in F&B but also in terms of packaging, waste, and sustainable logistics, for example.”
The final pillar focuses on the overall terminal experience. “And then the sixth one is to rejuvenate our terminal,” de Bie states. This pillar ties into the broader goal of enhancing passenger experience and design consistency throughout the airport.
Unified design will be an important part of the renovation. Tim de Bie says in recent years Schiphol has pursued a strategy of growing passenger numbers, but will now invest in improving the passenger experience
More options, more value
A key component of Schiphol’s transformation is a complete overhaul of its F&B offerings, with a primary focus of increasing the variety of cuisines available to travelers. To address this, Schiphol plans to introduce a wide range of new dining options, to create a more diverse and appealing food selection.
Schiphol is moving away from self-developed airport outlets toward well-known brands that resonate with travelers. De Bie explains, “We will introduce lots of hip and hot well-known brands and also the newer kids on the block that are on Instagram.”
The airport is not only expanding options, but also placing a strong emphasis on improving the quality of its F&B offerings across the board. De Bie questions, “If we have bread, can we improve the quality of the bread itself, and the quality of the coffee? It goes back to the quality of the beans but also the quality of the machines, and also the quality of the people that are using these machines – are they well trained enough?”
Alongside these improvements, Schiphol is working to enhance the value perception of its F&B offerings. De Bie states, “We will enhance the quality by a lot, and then the value for money perception hopefully improves with it.”
Sustainability is a crucial part of Schiphol’s F&B strategy. De Bie describes his approach as “a very ambitious sustainability roadmap.” This includes initiatives to reduce waste, shift away from high-impact products like red meat, focus on local sourcing and electrify logistics operations.
Reimagining retail
Schiphol’s retail strategy is undergoing a parallel transformation, with a focus on core categories and luxury offerings. The luxury expansion is significant. “We will only dedicate this in our Lounge 2, which is our most luxury-oriented lounge,” de Bie says. “We will not have luxury everywhere, but in Lounge 2 we will make a statement.”
For core retail categories, the strategy involves both expansion and integration. De Bie explains, “We acquired the perfumes, cosmetics and sunglasses categories at the beginning of this year. We are now in the process of combining these with liquor, tobacco and confectionery. So, it will be those six categories combined as you see in multiple other airports.”
Airport design
Schiphol’s renovation extends beyond individual stores and restaurants to encompass the entire terminal experience. De Bie highlights the need for consistency, “We have implemented several projects in the past 10 years that made sense from operational and security perspectives, and sometimes also from a commercial perspective, but they were all run as separate projects.”
This piecemeal approach has led to visual inconsistencies that, while subtle, impact the overall passenger experience. “If you look at it from afar, you won’t necessarily see it, but you feel it,” he says.
To address this, Schiphol is developing a comprehensive vision. “We are now developing a new design vision where we say, ‘OK, what should new tiles look like, what are our design principles in terms of clear sightlines and in terms of passenger flow?’ And then we will implement those when renovating our lounges,” he adds.
Over the next two or three years, the airport will add another several top tier luxury brands in Lounge 2. Core category floor space will increase 50% from 1,000 to 1,500 square meters, while luxury will almost double from 1,050 to 1,900 square meters
“Home Base for World Travelers”
At the heart of Schiphol’s transformation is a new brand vision that encapsulates the airport’s dual nature. “Schiphol and the airport as a whole combine two things,” de Bie explains. “One is the excitement of going away, but also a bit of anxiety. Will I catch my flight? How will it go with security? You’re going to experience an adventure, a new country. But on the other hand, there is the coziness of coming back, to your family, to your home, and this feeling of safety and trustworthiness.”
This duality has led to the creation of a new brand concept: “Home Base for World Travelers.” This vision aims to blend the thrill of international travel with the comfort and familiarity of home. “This can potentially also result in new branding we are currently working out in terms of new coloring, new letter types, to be a part of new marketing propositions,” de Bie says.
Expanding infrastructure
The renovation plan extends beyond the terminals to include significant infrastructure projects such as the building of new piers. But Schiphol is not just focusing on physical renovations, it is also leveraging cutting-edge technology to improve operations. The airport has developed advanced AI capabilities to optimize various aspects of its operations.
This AI-driven analysis helps identify bottlenecks in the turnaround process, which accounts for about 50% of total delays at airports. By pinpointing issues in real-time, Schiphol can proactively address potential delays, enhancing overall efficiency.
Another AI application is in predicting security line lengths, which predict the length of the security lines a few days in advance, allowing passengers to plan their airport arrival times more effectively, reducing stress and improving the overall travel experience.
De Bie emphasizes that while Schiphol is aware of cutting-edge retail technologies, the airport's current focus is on more fundamental improvements; for now, he is satisfied with the current data analytics and a model that predicts turnovers. “We are now in the implementation phase. Over 20 core category shops will be enlarged and completely renewed. We are first focusing on those types of opportunities because this will bring sometimes even 100% in sales growth,” he explains, adding that the next 5% will be considered after renovations are complete.
A key component of Schiphol’s transformation is a complete overhaul of its F&B offerings with a focus on improving variety and quality
