With Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as its flagship, the Netherlands has set a standard of excellence in airport technology, according to Airport Technology magazine.
The companies making up the Dutch airport technology industry provide a full range of products and services, from designing, building and operating to commercializing and financing airports, whether the work involves airside or landside facilities, terminals or other special features.
Economic Significance
The presence of an airport is an important factor in any regional or national economy with a great deal of commercial activity. Airports are bustling places and form a mini-economy with a great deal of commercial activity, not just shops, catering, banks, hotels and car-hire firms but also freight handling by shipping companies.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol alone has a working population of more than 40,000. It’s therefore not surprising that the effects on the regional and national economy play a major role in decision-making on siting or expanding an airport, according to the magazine.
One essential indicator is the number of passengers, a figure that gives a direct idea of the utilization of the airport. As a mainport, Schiphol is one of the world’s leading international airports. It’s not merely one of the ten largest but also one of the most efficient mainports. The Netherlands also has a number of regional airports — Eindhoven, Groningen, Lelystad, Maastricht and Rotterdam — whose importance is increasing and which are used by a number of airlines as a hub bypass.
International Involvement
Because the Dutch market is basically a small one, a lot of Dutch companies have spread their wings and become involved in international airport projects. In fact, some 90 percent of their turnover comes from abroad. In the past few decades Dutch firms have been involved in construction at hundreds of airports — both civil and military. They are also involved in national and international airports, for example Heathrow and Manchester (UK), Charles de Gaulle (France), Chep Lap Kok (Hong Kong), Changi (Singapore), Kansai (Japan), JFK New York (US), Cairo (Egypt) and Johannesburg (South Africa).
Development
Actual construction of an airport only starts after a great deal of preliminary research and planning. Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO) is one of the world leaders in the field of airport master planning and studies, for both national and regional airports. For example, a recent contract for the construction of Terminal 3 at Beijing International Airport was awarded to a joint venture between NACO and the architectural firm Foster and Partners, ARUP Engineers, and the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design and Research.
Another Dutch company, Schiphol Real Estate, specializes in the development, management, operation, and investment in real estate at and near Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (among others). Schiphol Alliances and Participations is involved in the main Dutch regional airports and in JFK International Airport and Brisbane Airport at international level.
There are also a number of Dutch companies that specialize in carrying out supporting capacity studies to aid decision-making, for example Incontrol Enterprise Dynamics and Ortec.
Design and Construction
Dutch contractors specialize in major infrastructure projects, and that includes airports. Examples of Dutch airport architecture — whether terminals or hangars — can be found all over the world, for instance at Harare International Airport in Zimbabwe. Dutch firms like Ooms Avenhorn Holding also provide the surrounding infrastructure, either landside or airside, so that present and future passengers and freight always get to where they need to be on time.
