Schiphol Group feels effects of LAGs measures

Gavin Lipsith

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The Dutch airport operator has reported a decrease in average spend resulting partly from new liquids measures

Schiphol Group has noted the effects of new security measures in its retail offer in first-half results released yesterday. The company said that average spend at the See Buy Fly shopping area at Amsterdam Schiphol airport decreased by €0.54 ($0.73) to €16.55 ($22.43), partly as a result of measures concerning LAGs.

The costs of the security measures at Amsterdam Schiphol increased by 3.3% to €101m ($136.9m) in the first six months of 2007, the group reported. But despite the increased cost and decreased passenger spend, the company still reported a 27.8% increase in revenue at its Consumers division—which includes retail, car parking and concessions—to €140m ($189.7m). The division’s revenue directly includes that of the liquor and tobacco shops previously operated by KLM Tax Free Services, which Schiphol took over last year. Schiphol said that concession income had dropped as a result of the change, and also because of LAGs restrictions.

Schiphol Group recorded a profit of €142.8m ($193.5m) in the first half of the year, up by 62.3% from the same period last year, driven by real estate gains. The number of passengers using Amsterdam Schiphol, Rotterdam airport and Eindhoven airport rose by 4.7% to 23.6m, with 22.4m travelling through Amsterdam.