The ongoing chaos at Schiphol can ensure that Groningen Airport Eelde will gain a better position in the aviation industry in the Netherlands. Next year will come too early, according to director Meiltje de Groot, but she has good hopes for 2024. “We expect major shifts then. That will be a very interesting year.”
The time of big dreams and building castles in the air is over at Groningen Airport Eelde. Eelde Airport no longer has the ambition to have a direct connection with a so-called hub airport such as Brussels or Munich. However, efforts are being made to make the aviation sector more sustainable and work is being done on a better relationship with the environment.
‘We believe in it’
Making aviation more sustainable is still a distant prospect, but Eelde does not miss any opportunity to draw attention to electric flying. At the same time, the airport director also sees that the view of the northern airport is changing in the rest of the country.
“This year, our holiday flights have an occupancy rate of 98 percent. We see a large increase in passengers from the Randstad. From Amstelveen, Oegstgeest, those kinds of places. People no longer find it a problem to sit in the car for a few hours if they thus avoiding the large crowds at Schiphol, which is an opportunity for us.”
‘Lust and burden must be bearable’
But no matter how great the need at Schiphol is, De Groot does not want Eelde to grow unbridled. De Groot takes Rotterdam The Hague Airport as an example, the airport that received a warning from the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate for exceeding the noise standards.
“We want to continue to grow, but the benefits and burdens must also be bearable for the environment,” says De Groot. “Our focus is not only on bringing in holiday flights. We see that we can operate the airport in a cost-neutral way if we do not include the costs for security. These costs only add up, we can never recoup them.”
In view of recent developments in the world, Eelde also needs to improve security. “We have to invest in cybersecurity, the costs of security personnel are rising by about twenty percent. We cannot pass that on.”
‘Part shifts our way’
In the coming year, a lot will become clear in the aviation industry in the Netherlands. Rotterdam The Hague Airport is encountering noise barriers, Schiphol must be reduced from 500,000 to 440,000 flights by the end of next year, while Eelde director Meiltje de Groot notes that the need for flying in the Netherlands will certainly not decrease.
“I don’t expect many shifts in 2023 myself,” she says. “We also estimate that many airlines will remain in place next year, because they are afraid of losing their slots and not getting them back. In 2024 we can expect major shifts and then I think some will move our way as well. “
“But we will keep the peace at Eelde. The redistribution of slots at Schiphol will lead to a shift. Other airports have limited space, here are opportunities for Eelde. But again, we also want to be a good neighbor and growth will not be unbridled We are also trying to reduce nuisance. The KLM Flight Academy is busy purchasing new aircraft, so that the nuisance caused by training flights is also reduced.”
Eelde has to convince politically
However, the support of politicians in Groningen and Drenthe remains a hot topic. As shareholders, the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe have promised to guarantee the deficits until the end of this year, after which it is uncertain what will happen to the financing of the northern airport. Before and after the Provincial Council elections in March next year, both provinces will have to decide again what they want with the airport. De Groot believes that by focusing on sustainability and having an eye for the environment, he has a story that will convince Groningen and Drenthe politically.
Former interim director Bart Schmeink came up with a vision document in which it was calculated that closing the airport means a direct cost item of 38.9 million euros for the shareholders, including the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe. In addition, closing the airport causes a loss of economic value of at least 132 million euros.
‘Eelde can play a nice role’
The current Eelde director does not want to think about closing at all. “A lot is about to happen in the sector and I believe that Eelde can play a great role in this. We are also Hydrogen Valley Airport, we think in terms of opportunities such as the use of hydrogen. We have a large solar park that generates a lot of electricity there. we can also fly in the direction of electric flight. We really see a future for Groningen Airport Eelde.”