Business Class To Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Located about six miles southwest of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) is the Netherlands’ primary international airport. Despite the Netherlands being a small country, AMS is the third busiest airport in Europe and one of the busiest in the world in terms of total passenger traffic. Many travelers from the Americas and other parts of Europe take flights to AMS and then transfer to connecting flights to take them to their final destinations. Nearly 72 million passengers take flights to Schiphol Airport each year. Flights to Schiphol are available from most of the world’s international airports.

Built in 1916 for use by the Dutch military, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport began serving civilian air traffic a few years later. Some sources say that the airport was given the name Schiphol, an antiquated term referring to a wetland or swamp, because it was constructed on a large lake. Although AMS has only one terminal, the airport and its surrounding area encompass nearly 11 acres of land.

AMS is the hub airport for the Dutch flag carrier KLM and its counterpart, KLM Cityhopper. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is also a major center for air cargo traffic in Europe and is the hub for KLM Cargo.

Passengers who book flights to AMS, or who have layovers at the airport, can visit a miniature version of Amsterdam’s famous Rijksmuseum, one of the world’s premier museums of classical and contemporary art, which is located on the airport’s grounds. AMS is also home to the Schiphol Airport Library, which opened in 2010. The library offers travelers access to more than 1,200 books by Dutch writers detailing the Netherlands’ history, culture, and natural resources. Visitors to the library can also download e-books and music by Dutch artists free of charge. Admission to both the Rijksmuseum and Schiphol library is free.

Aviation buffs and travelers with children may also want to visit the airport’s Panoramaterras, a roof-top observation deck accessible from outside the airport’s terminal. Admission to the Panoramaterras is free of charge for both passengers and members of the general public.

Direct flights to AMS from cities on the West Coast of the United States, such as Los Angeles (LAX) to AMS and San Francisco (SFO) to AMS, take approximately 12 hours. Passengers who book direct flights to Schiphol Airport from the East Coast of the U.S., from cities such as Boston (BOS) to AMS, can expect about six hours of travel time.