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ACM: the increase of Schiphol’s charges is not unreasonable

Summary

  • ACM has received complaints about Schiphol’s new charges and conditions.
  • ACM has decided that the charge increase and charge differentiation are not unreasonable.
  • Parties have the opportunity to file an appeal with the Dutch Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal (CBb).

According to the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), the increase of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol’s charges is not unreasonable. This means that Schiphol does not need to reverse the charge adjustment that went into effect on April 1, 2025. In addition, the airport is allowed to apply lower rates to quieter aircraft, and to make nighttime flights as well as flying with noisier aircraft more expensive.

Every three years, Schiphol sets new charges and conditions. Airport users that do not agree with the adjustments can file a complaint with ACM. Ten airlines and three representative organizations have filed a complaint as they disagree with the new charges that they have to pay for using the airport, among other reasons. ACM subsequently assessed whether the adjustments are not unreasonable within the framework of the Dutch Aviation Act.

Pandemic-related losses are an important cause of the higher charges

The average charges go up 41 percent in 2025, 7 percent in 2026, and go down 12.5 percent in 2027. In total, the average increase over these three years is 33 percent. Even though the increase is significant, ACM decides that, in this case, this increase is not unreasonable. In the Dutch Aviation Act, the basic principle is that airlines bear the costs of airport usage with a limited, statutorily-capped profit margin for Schiphol. ACM’s assessment shows that the charges are in line with this basic principle. The increase that Schiphol has implemented is a sum of different factors, such as higher costs (including wages), employee growth, higher interest rates, lower passenger volumes, and the settlement of pandemic-related losses. It appears that Schiphol is becoming more expensive relative to comparable airports, in particular as a result of those pandemic-related settlements. The basic principle that airlines bear the costs of airport usage also means that those airlines compensate Schiphol’s pandemic-related losses. The alternative is that Schiphol’s shareholders (which are the Dutch state and the municipality of Amsterdam) foot the bill. This is what actually happened in some countries. While it is always challenging to make comparisons, figures do show that Schiphol’s charges, excluding its pandemic-related losses, are in line with the charges of comparable airports in northwestern Europe.

Charge differentiation and other conditions

In addition to the overall charge increase, Schiphol has also tightened its so-called “charge differentiation”. This means that the charges for quieter aircraft are lowered, while those for noisier aircraft are raised. The charges for nighttime flights will go up as well, as these flights cause more nuisance. The goal of this charge differentiation is to stimulate airlines to use quieter aircraft, in order to reduce the noise nuisance around Schiphol. According to ACM, this charge differentiation is also not unreasonable. The Dutch Aviation Act allows Schiphol, under certain conditions, to differentiate between charges for issues of public interest, such as reducing noise nuisance. Furthermore, ACM ruled that Schiphol can pass on the insulation costs of homes in the airport charges. ACM did rule in favor of the airport users on one point. This point concerns a ban on certain types of aircraft that produce a significant amount of noise. Schiphol cannot decide on this ban on its own, but has to wait for the law to be amended. Once new legislation comes into effect on November 1, 2025, Schiphol will be allowed to include a nighttime ban on these aircraft in its conditions.

ACM’s decision means that the charges that went into effect on April 1, 2025, will remain in place. Parties that do not agree with this decision can file an appeal with the Dutch Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal (CBb).

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