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Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (EHAM) is the Netherlands' principal international gateway, lying in the Haarlemmermeer polder some nine kilometres southwest of central Amsterdam. Built on the site of a reclaimed lake and opened as a military airbase in 1916, it has grown into one of Europe's busiest hubs, with six long asphalt runways and an intensive, fully controlled traffic environment that makes it a demanding but fascinating destination for the simulator pilot.
Schiphol is the main hub for KLM, KLM Cityhopper and Martinair, and an operating base for Corendon Dutch Airlines, easyJet, Transavia, TUI fly Netherlands and Vueling. It sits at an elevation of -10 feet in the Haarlemmermeer polder near Amsterdam, and its six-runway layout, dense radar-controlled traffic and complex ground movement make it one of the more challenging and rewarding large airports to fly into on a flight simulator.
The airport lies in the Haarlemmermeer municipality of North Holland province, about 9 kilometres southwest of Amsterdam. It sits within busy controlled airspace served by Amsterdam Radar and Amsterdam Information, with Schiphol Approach, Arrival and Departure sectors managing the surrounding terminal area. As one of Europe's busiest airports for movements, the surrounding airspace is tightly managed and inbound or outbound traffic can expect to be worked by ATC throughout the climb and descent.
Schiphol has six physical runways. The Polderbaan, 18R/36L, is the longest at up to 12,455 ft, hard-surfaced and lit, with an ILS on 18R. The Zwanenburgbaan, 18C/36C, runs up to 10,811 ft, hard-surfaced, lit, with ILS. The Aalsmeerbaan, 18L/36R, extends to 11,149 ft, hard-surfaced and lit, with ILS on 36R. The Buitenveldertbaan, 09/27, is 11,329 ft, hard-surfaced and lit, with ILS on 27. The Kaagbaan, 06/24, reaches 11,282 ft, hard-surfaced and lit, with ILS on 06. The Schiphol-Oostbaan, 04/22, is the shortest at around 6,623 ft, hard-surfaced and lit, with ILS on 22. All runways are lit for night and low-visibility operations.
Schiphol Approach operates on 119.055 and 121.205 MHz, with Schiphol Departure sharing the same frequencies. Schiphol Arrival is available on 118.405 and 126.68 MHz. Amsterdam Information (FIS) is on 124.3 MHz, and Amsterdam Radar (ACC) operates on 118.805, 120.555 and 127.87 MHz. Departure ATIS broadcasts on 122.2 MHz and Arrival ATIS on 132.98 MHz. Clearance delivery is provided on 121.655 and 121.98 MHz. Ground movements are split by runway: 121.56 MHz for runway 18R, 121.705 MHz for runways 06/24, 121.805 MHz for runways 04/22, 09/27 and 18L/36R, and 121.905 MHz for runways 18C/36C, with 121.59 MHz used for general ground control at ATC discretion. Tower frequencies are similarly runway-specific: 118.105 MHz for 18C/36L, 118.28 MHz for 18R/36L, 119.23 MHz for 04/22 and 18L/36R, and 135.11 MHz for 06/24. Instrument approaches are available, with ILS fitted to runways 18R, 18C, 27, 36R, 06, 36C and 22.
Schiphol is a fully controlled major international airport with radar vectoring and runway-specific tower and ground frequencies; there is no informal circuit joining procedure as would be found at a general aviation field, and all arriving and departing traffic is sequenced by ATC through the approach, arrival and departure sectors. General aviation movements are limited given the airport's role as a large commercial hub, and there have been proposals to restrict private jet operations to reduce noise and environmental impact around the field.
Schiphol opened on 16 September 1916 as a military airbase, built on land reclaimed from the former Haarlemmermeer lake; the airport's name is popularly linked to this watery past, translating loosely as 'ship grave' in reference to vessels once lost on the lake. Civilian flying began in December 1920. By 1940 the airfield had four asphalt runways laid out at 45-degree angles to each other. During the Second World War it was captured and renamed Fliegerhorst Schiphol by the German military, and the airfield was heavily damaged by bombing before being rebuilt after the war. In 1949 it was designated the primary airport of the Netherlands, and it has since grown into one of Europe's largest hubs, built around a single-terminal concept first completed in 1994 and expanded thereafter.
Schiphol remains the busiest airport in the Netherlands and one of the busiest in Europe by both passenger numbers and aircraft movements, handling around 66.8 million passengers and close to 474,000 flights in 2024. It operates under an annual cap of 500,000 flights, a constraint that has led some low-cost carriers to shift operations to Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Eindhoven Airport. The airport serves as the principal hub for KLM, KLM Cityhopper and Martinair, and as an operating base for Corendon Dutch Airlines, easyJet, Transavia, TUI fly Netherlands and Vueling.
