Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), the principal international airport of the Netherlands, serves as a major European hub for passengers and cargo. Located on land reclaimed from a former lake, the airport is notable for its position approximately four meters below sea level. It began as a military airbase in 1916 and commenced civil operations in 1920, evolving into one of the world's busiest airports.
- Transportation Connections: Schiphol boasts excellent rail connections directly to Amsterdam city center, with journeys to Amsterdam Centraal taking approximately 20 minutes. Various shuttle parking services like ShuttleparkerenSchiphol and Quick Parking offer frequent buses and short transfer times (around 5-7 minutes) to the airport.
- Unique Amenities: For those with longer layovers, the airport offers unique attractions such as the Panorama Terrace for plane spotting, a retired KLM aircraft available for exploration, and even a branch of the Rijksmuseum.
- Security Time Slot Reservation: Travelers can reserve a security screening time slot online, which has been reported to significantly reduce wait times, sometimes to as little as 5 minutes.
- Security and Immigration Wait Times: A prevalent and significant complaint is the excessive wait times at passport control and security. Travelers frequently report queues lasting over an hour for immigration, with some instances of two-hour waits. Issues cited include a limited number of active passport control gates and insufficient staff.
- Terminal Facilities and Cleanliness: Many recent reviews describe the airport as "disgusting" with "stains, crumbs, and trash on every surface," particularly in seating areas. There are frequent complaints about a lack of clean and functioning toilets, with many being out of order. The low-cost experience is particularly criticized for a lack of seating and overflowing bins.
- Overall Organization and Staff: Travelers often find the airport "very poorly organised", with confusing signage and a lack of clear information. Several reviews mention staff being unhelpful, incompetent, or even rude, especially during flight disruptions or when seeking assistance.
- Lack of Seating and High Prices: Beyond cleanliness, a common frustration is the scarcity of available seating in terminals and the high cost of food and beverages.
Bottom line: While Amsterdam Airport Schiphol offers excellent city connections and some interesting diversions for layovers, recent traveler experiences highlight significant challenges with long queues, cleanliness, and overall airport management, leading to a decline in traveler satisfaction.
New & changed departures
37 changes to AMS's schedule in the last 90 days.
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Track all changesRoutes from AMS
324 nonstop destinations · 130 airlines.
Showing the top 200 destinations by frequency.
Airlines at AMS
130 carriers operate scheduled departures.
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Airport routes
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) offers 622 flight routes operated by 130 airlines. Major carriers include KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Transavia Airlines, easyJet and others. Popular destinations from Amsterdam include Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, London Heathrow Airport, Frankfurt Airport, Oslo, Gardermoen.
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Common questions about AMS
Quick answers, straight from the schedule data.
How many destinations have nonstop flights from AMS?
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has 622 scheduled routes to 324 destinations in 99 countries, operated by 130 airlines.
Which airlines fly from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol?
130 carriers operate scheduled departures, including KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Transavia Airlines, easyJet.
Where is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol located?
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is located in Amsterdam, NL, at an elevation of -11 ft. Its IATA code is AMS and ICAO code is EHAM.