EasyJet CEO Carolyn McCall is ‘really surprised’ that KLM is the only airline involved in discussions on the future of Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Wednesday.

Last week junior economic affairs minister Joop Atsma set up a special commission to decide what sort of flights should have priority at the state-owned airport but KLM is the only airline represented.
‘I’ve never come across anything like it,’ McCall told the paper in an interview. ‘The government is only allowing one interested party to talk about the future of its own airport.’
Lelystad
McCall fears politicians and the new commission will force budget airlines like easyJet to use other airports, like Lelystad – something which easyJet strongly opposes. Lelystad, on the Flevoland polder, has been earmarked for expansion but is much further from Amsterdam.
The committee is chaired by former minister Hans Alders, KLM supervisory board member Hans Smits, Schiphol supervisory board member Herman Hazewinkel and former senior civil servant Marcel van Gastel.
They are charged with solving a long-running dispute between Schiphol and KLM about the airport’s expansion plans.
KLM controls 70% of Schiphol’s capacity but easyJet is the airport’s second biggest client, the FD says.

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