Finance
Schiphol scraps plan to hike fees next year after airlines push back
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 29, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 29, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Schiphol Airport will freeze its 2026 airline fees after discussions with airlines, reversing a planned 5% increase to maintain competitiveness.
By Alban Kacher
(Reuters) -Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport said on Monday it plans to freeze airline charges in 2026, scrapping a previously planned 5% increase following talks with airlines.
Schiphol, one of Europe's busiest airports, has already increased fees it charges to airlines by 41% this year as part of a three-year plan to fund new investment in the airport. The fee increases will also be used to reduce noise nuisance including additional charges for night flights.
“We understand that the 2025 charge increase has a significant impact on airlines,” CFO Robert Carsouw said in a statement. “At the same time, Schiphol is performing well financially and some airlines consider it too expensive. That’s why we’re discussing a freeze for 2026.”
The airport said it is in talks with airlines and will make a formal decision on the charges by the end of October. A voluntary contribution from Schiphol would offset the planned increase, made possible by cost control and efficiency measures, the airport added.
Last October, Dutch airline KLM's CEO Marjan Rintel called the 41% rise in fees planned for this year "unreasonable and unwise", adding that it would cause an increase in ticket prices and weaken Schiphol's international competitiveness.
KLM is based at Schiphol, where it is facing additional cost pressures from a strike by ground crew demanding higher wages and better working conditions.
(Reporting by Alban Kacher; Editing by Susan Fenton)
Schiphol Airport announced it will freeze airline charges in 2026, scrapping a previously planned 5% increase after discussions with airlines.
KLM's CEO Marjan Rintel described the 41% rise in fees as 'unreasonable and unwise', stating it would lead to higher ticket prices and weaken Schiphol's competitive position.
Schiphol Airport is performing well financially, which influenced their decision to reconsider the planned fee increases for airlines.
KLM is dealing with additional cost pressures due to a strike by ground crew who are demanding higher wages and better working conditions.
Schiphol stated that it is in discussions with airlines and will make a formal decision on the charges by the end of October.
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