Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Landmark Deal Reshapes Amsterdam’s Cargo Landscape
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and KLM have signed an agreement to relocate KLM’s cargo and catering operations, clearing prime real estate at Schiphol Centre for new aircraft stands, a southern terminal expansion, and a modernised central cargo zone.
Under the deal, KLM Cargo will move from its current position at Schiphol Centre to a new facility called “Vracht 15,” located in Schiphol South-East. KLM Catering Services and the Topside unit will also relocate to new sites at Schiphol North. No financial terms were disclosed.
The agreement directly enables three developments that Schiphol has been pursuing under its Schiphol Centre Master Plan: new aircraft stands sized for wider, next-generation jets; an expanded passenger terminal to the south; and a consolidated, purpose-built cargo campus on the opposite side of the Kaagbaan runway.
Timing Aligns With Cargo Growth Rebound
The agreement comes as Schiphol reports strong cargo momentum. The airport handled nearly 130,000 tonnes of freight in April, a rise of more than 11 percent compared with the same month a year earlier. The number of dedicated cargo flights climbed even faster, up 13 percent to 1,377 movements.
Import volumes grew 12 percent to nearly 67,000 tonnes. Traffic from the Far East led the increase, rising 20 percent. Freight from the Middle East also posted growth of 9 percent, despite regional instability. On the export side, outbound volumes to the Middle East rose more than 20 percent, while shipments to Africa surged 60 percent and exports to the Far East climbed 25 percent.
For the first four months of 2026, Schiphol processed approximately 490,000 tonnes of cargo, up 6.5 percent year on year. Freighter movements over the same period rose by a comparable 7 percent to 5,375 flights.
The figures mark a reversal from 2025, when Schiphol reported a 6 percent drop in cargo flights and a 4.2 percent decline in total volumes handled. The share of dedicated freighter movements within total airport traffic also fell in 2025 to 3.2 percent, below the historic norm of 3.5 percent.
Freighter aircraft remain the dominant mode of cargo handling at Schiphol, contributing more than 800,000 tonnes of the 1.42 million tonnes processed in 2025. Belly cargo, which travels in the lower decks of passenger jets, accounted for the remaining 626,500 tonnes.
What Comes Next for Vracht 15
With the agreement now signed, Schiphol and KLM will advance the design phase for the new Vracht 15 cargo building. A tender for architects is currently underway. Schiphol described the planned facility as a modern, centrally organised cargo campus with improved efficiency, working conditions, and sustainability provisions.
The new infrastructure will be built without gas connections, consistent with the airport’s stated target of reducing emissions from the airport and all ground activities by 90 percent against 2019 levels by 2030.
A new passenger terminal to the south and an expanded A-pier, which Schiphol said will enter service next year, are also part of the broader renewal programme. The airport cited insufficient terminal capacity for its current passenger volumes as a key driver, noting that the deployment of larger aircraft is expected to push traveller numbers higher over time.
The relocation timetable for KLM operations has not been made public. The design and permitting phase for Vracht 15 will shape when the physical move can proceed.
