June 1, 2000

Schiphol: een normaal bedrijf?

The transition of the Dutch national airport Schiphol from a public to a private company does not seem to conflict with the goal of 'mainport Schiphol' in which the airport is an important international hub and at the same time a focal point of economic activities.

The government has not actively promoted this goal in the past and specific policies do not seem to be required now. Lack of competition is conceivably a danger and requires monitoring of prices. This can take place under the current anti-trust laws. Furthermore, the government must formulate environmental standards. The sector itself could then decide how it would like to meet these standards. These are the main conclusions of the study of the public role of the national airport in the light of possible privatisation.

Authors

Marcel Canoy
Jacco Hakfoort
Carl Koopmans
Taco van Hoek
Rafael Saitua Nistal
Paul Tang