Millions of travelers will therefore not be added for the time being. Koerhuis therefore thinks a million passengers in the ‘short term’ is more realistic. Mark Harbers, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management and, like Koerhuis, a VVD member, disagrees. “These are colossal numbers. Rotterdam The Hague Airport is not even making it yet.” In the record year of 2019, this was achieved in the port city, with more than 2 million passengers. In the past two years, the number of passengers at the airport in Rotterdam was under one million.
Koerhuis points to the 80 million passengers that Schiphol transports. “A large number of flights are holiday flights. Why can’t some of them go to Eelde?” asks the VVD member. “Then that 6 million is not so colossal at all.” He calls it a dot on the horizon to work towards.
Minister Harbers says that it is up to the airport itself to become attractive. The airlines also play a role in this. And not all of these are eager to operate from multiple airports.
A first step could be taking over a few flights from Schiphol. Groningen Airport Eelde has indicated that it has room to take over twenty flights a day from Schiphol, due to the large crowds there.
“Understandable,” the minister responds. “I support the collaboration to tackle this problem.” But he does add that the ministry has no instruments to make this mandatory. “That’s up to the airports themselves.”
Schiphol and Groningen Airport Eelde are discussing further cooperation. Schiphol has indicated that it does not wish to acquire any shares. The minister says he will not do that either. “We don’t have the money for that.”