In the third quarter of 2023, commercial air traffic in the Netherlands experienced an 8% increase compared to the previous year. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol remained the primary gateway for air travel, handling more than 86% of all passengers coming to and departing from the Netherlands.
During this quarter, over 17.8 million passengers passed through Dutch airports, marking a nearly 14% growth compared to the same period in 2022. Eindhoven Airport was responsible for nearly 10% of this passenger traffic, while Eindhoven, Rotterdam, and Groningen airports collectively handled most intra-European flights.
In contrast, Maastricht Aachen Airport saw a decline in both flights and passengers due to a runway renovation closure from May 8 to June 30, causing airlines to divert some of their flights to other airports.
Air cargo volumes dropped by almost 10% compared to the third quarter of 2022, with the majority of cargo (over 98%) moving through Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Schiphol handled nearly 341,000 tonnes, which was almost 5% less than the previous year. The remaining air cargo was processed through Maastricht Aachen Airport, which experienced a significant decrease of nearly 76% in cargo volumes relative to the same period in 2022.
