Schiphol: delayed opening new fifth runway

Opening not earlier than early 2003

Construction of Amsterdam Airport SchipholÂ's new fifth runway, Polderbaan, will be completed as scheduled on November 28, 2002. However, the new runway will not be operative immediately because the legislative procedures on which the revised Aviation Act is based have yet to be concluded.

The revised Aviation Act defines new environmental and safety standards under which the five-runway system will operate.

The aviation industry in the Netherlands was eager to begin using the new runway on November 28, 2002 so that local residents would be able to derive immediate benefit from (some of) the runwayÂ's advantages. To meet that date, however, all legislative procedures should have been concluded on September 9, 2002.

The new runway is now expected to open at the end of February 2003.

(source: Schiphol Group)

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