Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) at a glance
Amsterdam Schiphol is Europe's best-connected airport, serving 301 destinations in 2025, more than any other on the continent, with 68.8 million passengers passing through its famous single terminal. Built below sea level on a drained lake and open since 1916, it is one of aviation's oldest sites and the home of KLM, whose transfer-driven network gives a country of 18 million people a world-class hub.
Schiphol's story is now defined by limits: government-imposed flight caps to cut noise and emissions have squeezed capacity below its 500,000-movement peak, setting up a running battle between the Dutch state, KLM and the EU over how much flying the Netherlands wants. Within those constraints, the airport is investing billions in terminal renewal.
Hub & base airlines
| Airline | Role | Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| KLM | Primary hub and home base | Departure halls 1 and 2 |
Terminals & infrastructure
Schiphol pioneered the single-terminal concept: one building with three departure halls feeding piers A to G, which keeps transfers famously short. Six runways spread across the polder landscape, including the distant Polderbaan, give flexible noise management. The airport sits below sea level, on land reclaimed from a lake where ships once sank, hence the name Ship Hollow.Full specifications
Frequently asked questions
It served 301 destinations in 2025, the most of any European airport, thanks to KLM's transfer-hub model concentrating a global network on one compact terminal.
Yes, about four meters below. The airport sits on land reclaimed from the Haarlemmermeer lake in the 19th century.
The Dutch government has imposed movement limits to reduce noise and emissions, cutting capacity below the airport's 500,000-flight peak and prompting legal battles with airlines.