About Amsterdam
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the main international airport of the Netherlands and a vital European transport hub. Located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, it is the world's third busiest airport by international passenger traffic. It is the primary hub for KLM and its regional affiliate KLM Cityhopper.
The airport is built as a single-terminal concept: one large terminal building split into three large departure halls, which connects to the piers. This design allows passengers to stay within the same building for all connections, although the walking distances can be significant. Schiphol is famous for being located below sea level—specifically about 3 meters (9.8 ft) below mean sea level.
Schiphol has six runways, including the Polderbaan, which is significantly separated from the rest of the airport and requires a 15-minute taxi time. The airport is also a major shopping destination, featuring a branch of the Rijksmuseum with classic Dutch art on disPlay for passengers. It consistently ranks high for passenger convenience and amenities.
Financially Schiphol operates as a state-controlled corporation whose shares are held 69.77 per cent by the Dutch central government, 20.03 per cent by the municipality of Amsterdam, 2.20 per cent by Rotterdam and the remaining 8 per cent by Aéroports de Paris under a strategic cross-holding signed in 2008. Its ICAO identifier EHAM places it in the European "E" zone alongside every airport of the Netherlands, and its unusual runway numbering (Zwanenburgbaan, Buitenveldertbaan, Aalsmeerbaan) preserves the old Dutch names of adjacent villages rather than following the alphanumeric convention used elsewhere. The airport's departures board once famously included a flight to the mythical "Vliegveld Zestienhoven", added in 2003 as an April Fool's joke that reached the wire services before being pulled two hours later.