Schiphol registers slight traffic decline in 2003

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The Dutch airport group confirmed yesterday that development plans at Amsterdam Schiphol will not be affected by a 2% drop in passenger numbers over 2003

Amsterdam Schiphol airport welcomed 39.9m passengers in 2003, a decline of 2% compared with the previous year. The result was announced yesterday (January 7) by Schiphol Group president and ceo GJ Cerfontaine, who blamed the Iraq war, the SARS outbreak and sluggish world economies for the fall in traffic. He also pointed to the warm summer in the Netherlands as a factor in reduced holiday bookings among Dutch travellers.

Schiphol Group has forecast that passenger traffic at the airport will grow by about 4.5% this year, to 41.7m. The airport has several ambitious investment plans in 2004, including the renovation of departure lounge one, where a replica of Amsterdam's Crystal Palace is to be built. The lounge, catering for Schengen passengers, will feature new stores including a 850sq m (9,150sq ft) beauty, liquor and tobacco store jointly operated by Kappé Schiphol and KLM Tax Free Services.

See DFNI January 15 for more details.