Rotterdam The Hague Airport
Rotterdam The Hague Airport (formerly Rotterdam Airport, Vliegveld Zestienhoven in Dutch), (IATA: RTM, ICAO: EHRD) is a minor international airport serving Rotterdam, the Netherlands' second largest city, and The Hague, its administrative and royal capital. It is located 3 NM (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) north northwest[1] of Rotterdam in South Holland and is the third busiest airport in the Netherlands.
Rotterdam The Hague Airport | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||
| Owner/Operator | Schiphol Group | ||||||
| Serves | Rotterdam and The Hague | ||||||
| Location | Zestienhoven, Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands | ||||||
| Focus city for | |||||||
| Elevation AMSL | −14 ft / −4 m | ||||||
| Coordinates | 51°57′25″N 04°26′25″E / 51.95694°N 4.44028°E | ||||||
| Website | rotterdamthehagueairport.nl | ||||||
| Map | |||||||
RTM/EHRD RTM/EHRD RTM/EHRD (South Holland) RTM/EHRD RTM/EHRD (Netherlands) RTM/EHRD RTM/EHRD (Europe) | |||||||
| Runways | |||||||
| Statistics (2019) | |||||||
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The airport handled over 2.1 million passengers in 2019 and features scheduled flights to European metropolitan and leisure destinations. It is also used extensively by general aviation and there are several flying clubs, a skydiving club and a flight training school located at the airport.
History edit
Early years edit
After World War II, the Dutch government decided that a second national airport was needed in addition to Schiphol. Rotterdam had previously had an airport before the war; Waalhaven airport, but it was heavily damaged in the German bombing of Rotterdam, and was later completely destroyed to prevent it from being used by the Germans. Reconstruction of the airport was not a realistic proposition, so a new location was found in the Zestienhoven polder, giving the airport its original name.[3]
Construction of the airport began in August 1955 and the airport was officially opened in October 1956. Several large international airlines, such as Swissair, Lufthansa, Air France, Channel Airways, and British Air Ferries (Channel Air Bridge) were soon operating to Rotterdam. However, in the 1970s plans were made to either close or move the airport to make space for housing. Its uncertain future halted the airport's growth and led to many operators leaving.[3]
Development since the 1990s edit
For almost thirty years the airport faced closure, but the economic growth of the 1990s caused an increase in passengers again, and in 2001 it was decided that the airport's current location would be maintained for at least a century.
The route with the longest continual service, to London Heathrow and operated by KLM Cityhopper, was suspended in 2008. This marked the end of KLM's involvement with the airport. However, in December 2012, British Airways began a service to Rotterdam from Heathrow.[4] In October 2014, British Airways announced they would suspend the route again in March 2015.[5] British Airways now flies to Rotterdam from London City Airport.[6]
The name of the airport was changed from Zestienhoven to Rotterdam Airport and finally in 2010 to its current name Rotterdam The Hague Airport.
Most flights today are operated by smaller mainline jets such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 series or the Embraer 190. There is also a fair amount of business aviation. State and military aircraft also use the airport frequently, due to its proximity to The Hague, the seat of the Dutch government and various international institutions such as the International Criminal Court.[7] With the closure of nearby Ypenburg Airport in 1992 and Valkenburg Naval Air Base in 2006, Rotterdam The Hague Airport is now the only remaining airport in the area.
The airport experienced significant growth in the 2010s, doubling passenger numbers from 1,000,858 in 2010 to 2,133,976 in 2019.
Airlines and destinations edit
The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Rotterdam/The Hague:[8]
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Blue Islands | Seasonal charter: Guernsey, Jersey[9] |
| British Airways | London–City |
| Corendon Airlines | Seasonal: Antalya, Kayseri (begins 2 July 2024)[10] |
| Pegasus Airlines | Seasonal: Antalya, Istanbul–Sabiha Gökçen, Kayseri |
| SunExpress | Seasonal: Antalya,[11] Izmir[12] |
| Swiss International Air Lines | Zürich (begins 22 January 2024)[13] |
| Transavia | Al Hoceima, Alicante, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Faro, Fez, Gran Canaria, Lisbon, Málaga, Nador, Tenerife–South, Valencia Seasonal: Almería, Bastia,[14] Bergamo, Bergerac, Brindisi, Chambéry, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Geneva, Girona, Grenoble, Heraklion, Ibiza, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Kos, Lanzarote, Montpellier, Palermo, Palma de Mallorca, Perugia, Pula, Rome–Fiumicino, Salzburg, Split, Tangier, Toulon, Zadar |
| TUI fly Netherlands | Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Marrakech, Tenerife–South Seasonal: Antalya, Heraklion, Kittilä,[15] Kos, Kuusamo,[15] Rhodes, Sharm El Sheikh, Zakynthos |
Statistics edit
Passenger numbers edit
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
| Year | Passengers | Aircraft movements |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1,774,976[16] | 49,962 |
| 2018 | 1,943,733[17] | 53,322 |
| 2019 | 2,133,976[18] | 52,439 |
| 2020[19] | 497,078 | 38,653 |
| 2021[20] | 764,061 | 46,139 |
| 2022[21] | 2,133,708 | 59,444 |
Busiest routes edit
| Rank | Airport | Passengers 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London City Airport | 219,222 | ||
| 2 | Barcelona–El Prat Airport | 154,152 | ||
| 3 | Málaga Airport | 126,034 | ||
| 4 | Faro Airport | 121,494 | ||
| 5 | Alicante Airport | 110,239 | ||
| Source: http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/submitViewTableAction.do | ||||
Ground transportation edit
Bus edit
The airport is served by bus line 33, which runs between Rotterdam Centraal, the airport, and further to Meijersplein station. At Meijersplein, transfers are available to metro line E, with frequent service to Den Haag Centraal, Rotterdam Centraal and Rotterdam city center.[22]
Car edit
The airport is situated next to the busy A13/E19 motorway, which makes it easily accessible via car.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b EHRD – ROTTERDAM/Rotterdam. AIP from AIS the Netherlands, effective 28 December 2023
- ^ Annual Statistics 2010-2019 - Rotterdam The Hague Airport (PDF, Dutch)
- ^ a b "History - Rotterdam The Hague Airport". Rotterdam The Hague Airport. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ "BA gears up for new short-haul Heathrow services". Business Traveller. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
- ^ "British Airways suspends London Heathrow – Rotterdam flights from 28 March 2015". London Air Travel. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ^ "Visit Holland | Flights | British Airways". www.britishairways.com. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "Rotterdam Airport profile - Aviation Safety Network". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ rotterdamthehagueairport.nl - Find & book retrieved 14 November 2020
- ^ "Sunair.nl | Kanaaleilanden | Island Hopper".
- ^ "Corendon Dutch NS24 Rotterdam – Türkiye Operations".
- ^ "Offers - SunExpress".
- ^ "Rotterdam flight plan".
- ^ "Zwitserse luchtvaartmaatschappij SWISS start vluchten tussen Rotterdam en Zürich". 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Transavia start ticketverkoop naar (nieuwe) zomerbestemmingen 2022" [Transavia starts ticketsales to new summer 2022 destinations]. Luchtvaartnieuws.nl (in Dutch). 14 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ a b "TUI fly in de winter van Rotterdam Airport naar Egypte en Lapland". 30 May 2022.
- ^ "Rotterdam The Hague Airport fact & figures 2017" (PDF). Rotterdam The Hague Airport.
- ^ "Rotterdam The Hague Airport fact & figures 2018" (PDF). Rotterdam The Hague Airport.
- ^ "Rotterdam The Hague Airport Annual facts & figures 2019" (PDF). Rotterdam The Hague Airport.
- ^ "Rotterdam The Hague Airport Annual facts & figures 2020" (PDF). Rotterdam The Hague Airport.
- ^ "Rotterdam The Hague Airport Annual facts & figures 2021" (PDF). Rotterdam The Hague Airport.
- ^ "Rotterdam The Hague Airport Annual facts & figures 2022" (PDF). Rotterdam The Hague Airport.
- ^ "Metro".
External links edit
Media related to Rotterdam The Hague Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Current weather for EHRD at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for RTM at Aviation Safety Network