Just now, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) announced that it does not consider Schiphol’s 41% tariff increase this year to be unreasonable.
ACM concludes that the rates are not higher than the underlying costs indicated by Schiphol plus a legally permitted profit margin. The significant increase is due to rising costs, personnel expansions, higher interest rates, lower passenger numbers, and recoveries of COVID-19 losses from 2021.
Reaction from Air Cargo Netherlands:
– It is disappointing to see ACM almost entirely dismissing all objections, including our concern that freight is being disproportionately affected, which threatens the position of Schiphol’s air cargo hub.
– Schiphol is the only Western European airport still compensating for COVID-19 losses in 2025 and continues to suffer from lower passenger numbers.
– It is the air freight, especially full freighters, that has been able to generate some income for the airport during the COVID-19 crisis.
– The idea of encouraging quieter generation aircraft through tariff differentiation is not a bad one. However, cargo operators are currently bound to older, larger, and thus noisier aircraft because the new generation planes (A350F/777XF) will not be delivered until 2027/2028.
– ACM states understanding that tariff differentiation negatively impacts some airlines, but that it benefits airlines with quieter aircraft. The issue for cargo planes is acknowledged but ignored despite this.
– It is also unclear what investments are planned for the cargo industry. In exchange for significantly higher rates, investments in, for example, Cargo City Schiphol should be considered.
– ACM does not address our objection that Schiphol is deliberately using its tariff differentiation policy to make it impossible for certain aircraft to land at the airport. We believe Schiphol is abusing its legal authority to set tariffs and is effectively replacing the role of the legislature.
We support BARIN’s call to amend the Aviation Act to prevent such excessive rate increases for airlines in the future.
Some concrete figures:
– During the day, a Boeing 747-400F faces an increase of 83%, and at night, even 140% compared to 2024.
– A 777F pays 51% more during the day and 126% at night.
– By 2027, this will be even 155% during the day and 348% at night for the 747-400F, and 70% during the day and 237% at night for the 777F.
