Schiphol Airport

Schiphol {{Airport codes|AMS|EHAM}} (municipality Haarlemmermeer) is the Netherlands' main airport. Located south of Amsterdam ({{coor dms|52|18|31|N|4|45|50|E|region:NL}}), Schiphol aims to be a European mainport, competing in passenger and cargo throughput with Heathrow International Airport in London, UK, Frankfurt International Airport in Frankfurt am Main, Germany and Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Roissy, France.

Related Topics:
Municipality - Haarlemmermeer - Netherlands - Airport - Amsterdam - European - Heathrow International Airport - London, UK - Frankfurt International Airport - Frankfurt am Main, Germany - Charles de Gaulle International Airport - Roissy, France

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Schiphol started early last century as a military airbase, consisting only of a few barracks and a mudpool serving as platform/runways. When civil aircraft started to make use of the field, it was often called Schiphol-les-bains. The Fokker aircraft manufacturer started a factory near Schiphol airport in 1951.

Related Topics:
Fokker - 1951

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Schiphol's name means "ship hole". It is part of the Haarlemmermeerpolder, which before around 1850 was a big lake. The name originally meant a part of that lake: 't Schiphol in old maps of the area.

Related Topics:
Haarlemmermeer - Lake

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Currently Schiphol has 5 main runways, plus 1 used mainly by general aviation aircraft. The "fifth runway" (really the sixth) was completed in 2003. Plans have already been made for a seventh runway.

Related Topics:
Runway - General aviation - 2003

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The airport is built as one large terminal split into three large departure halls, the most recent having been completed in 1994, which converge again once airside. There are plans for further terminal expansion.

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Because of the intense traffic and high landing and parking fees at Schiphol, more and more holiday-carriers have moved some of their flights to smaller airports, such as Groningen, Rotterdam, Eindhoven and Maastricht.

Related Topics:
Groningen - Rotterdam - Eindhoven - Maastricht

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Schiphol is the home base of KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines), Martinair and Transavia.

Related Topics:
KLM - Martinair - Transavia

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The Dutch Railways operate a major passenger train station directly underneath the passenger terminal complex. Thalys International operates a TGV rail service between Amsterdam, Schiphol, The Hague HS, Rotterdam, Berchem Rail Station (Antwerp), Midi Rail Station (Brussels) and Gare du Nord in Paris.

Related Topics:
Dutch Railways - Train station - Thalys - TGV - The Hague - Rotterdam - Berchem Rail Station - Antwerp - Midi Rail Station - Brussels - Gare du Nord - Paris

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Schiphol has large shopping areas as a source of revenue and as an additional attractant to air-carrier passengers. Schiphol Plaza is the shopping center before customs, hence not only for air travellers, but also for people who just change train here, etc. There is a regular-size supermarket, Food Village, that is open until midnight seven days a week.

Related Topics:
Shop - Plaza - Supermarket

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Schiphol is the world's lowest major commercial airport. The Schiphol ATC tower, with a height of 101 m, was the tallest in the world when constructed in 1991. Its base is actually 5 m below sea level.

Related Topics:
ATC - M - 1991 - Sea level

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