Schiphol opens new H pier

Translated from Dutch:

http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/news/?id=10908

SCHIPHOL – The seventh pier at Schiphol, the H-pier, has been opened today. This pier will be used exclusively by low cost carriers. Initially Easyjet, Thomsonfly, BMIbay, Jet2 and SkyEurope will use the pier. December 1st Wizz Air will join them.

At first the number of daily flights is expected to be 20 to 30. This can be increased to at most 64.

The H-pier was build to create some more space in the central area of the terminal, to cater for the expected grow of KLM/AF and its partners. The new pier is intended for point-to-point carriers that will have few transiting passengers. A quick turnaround time will be important. Schiphol claims this will be possible.

Passengers travelling through the H-pier will enter the area through lounge 3, the central waiting and shopping area immediately after pasport contorl. Just prior to boarding the people will be moved to a pre-boarding room on ground level. From there they can walk over the platform to the waiting plane. Therefor the new pier will have no jetties. People with a disability will be bussed to the plane.

Construction of this terminal started in february.

Interesting to note that, according to the NOS news, the new terminal will be completely void of any luxury. Including toilets!

It is clear that Schiphol wants to keep the passengers in the central area as long as possible. If course this will only increase the likelyhood of a passenger not making it to the flight on time, thereby quite possibly increasing the chance of a plane missing its short turnaround times!

It remains to be seen if this will indeed safe time for AMS. As it is the turnaround time is already quite impressive. Indeed it is the taxying times that are the main problem. Taxying from the Polderbaan to Schiphol Plaza takes at least 20 minutes. That’s a lot of time for airlines that normally have a turnaround time under an hour.