Nearly 40 percent more air passengers in the first quarter

Schiphol not at pre-pandemic level

In the first quarter, 12.3 million passengers flew to or from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, i.e. 87 percent of the total number of air passengers travelling to and from the Netherlands. This was still 8.9 million in the same period last year, representing an increase of 38 percent. Relative to Q1 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, fewer passengers travelled via Amsterdam (-21 percent). Three airports processed more arrivals and departures than in Q1 2019: Eindhoven Airport (+7 percent), Rotterdam The Hague Airport (+28 percent) and Maastricht Aachen Airport (more than double the number).

Also more commercial flights

In Q1 2023, there were 104.8 thousand flights in commercial air traffic to and from the five major Dutch airports (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Eindhoven Airport, Maastricht Aachen Airport and Groningen Airport Eelde). This is over 14 percent more than in Q1 2022, when this number stood at 91.6 thousand. Over 87 percent of these commercial flights went via Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Higher seat occupancy rates

The average aircraft occupancy rate on flights to and from the five major airports was 76 percent in the first quarter. This means that seat occupancy was 76 out of 100, on average. In the same quarter of 2021, only 35 out of 100 seats were occupied. The average occupancy rate in the first quarter of 2019 stood at 78 percent.

Less air cargo transport

In Q1 2023, air cargo volumes declined by 12 percent year on year, to 348 thousand tonnes. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Maastricht Aachen Airport - the airports where cargo is handled - transported less cargo compared to the same quarter last year: -9 and -51 percent, respectively. Relative to Q1 2019, the respective percentages stood at -13 and -62 percent. In Q1 2023, over 96 percent of air cargo transport was handled at Schiphol.