Schiphol will continue talks with Maastricht Aachen Airport (MAA) about a possible collaboration.

Schiphol CEO Dick Benschop reported this in a letter to Frans Weekers, chairman of the Supervisory Board of Limburg airport. Schiphol's participation in MAA is also an option.

The exploration for more intensive cooperation between the two airports started in December at the initiative of MAA. At the moment, cooperation takes place on an ad hoc basis. Possible future options are a strategic cooperation agreement and therefore also the scenario in which Schiphol participates in MAA.

The exploration takes place against the background that the Provincial Council of the province of Limburg will make a decision in June this year about the future of MAA. A final decision on a collaboration with Schiphol will not take place until there is clarity about the future, according to the letter.

"We expect that capacity will again be scarce for both passenger transport and freight transport in the short term, making system optimization desirable"

, writes Benschop.

"Herein lie opportunities for the regional fields in the Netherlands, including MAA, which can be optimally utilized with further coordination and cooperation."

According to Benschop, Schiphol also sees opportunities for MAA in developments in the field of sustainability and electrification. “Electric aviation will materialize in the coming years through the development and deployment of small(er) aircraft and is therefore ideally suited to reach maturity via the regional fields.”

In this context, Schiphol reports that it sees the possibility of more intensive cooperation with MAA “as an opportunity to work together with MAA, the province of Limburg and its residents within the framework of the environment and quality of life to further improve sustainable airport capacity in the Netherlands.”

If various preconditions can be met, such as specifically defined goals, interim evaluation moments and mutual compensation for costs, Schiphol sees opportunities for a strategic cooperation agreement.

Nature permit

As far as Schiphol is concerned, the cooperation scenario in which Schiphol takes an interest in MAA is possible if various additional conditions are met. For example, the provincial decision on the future of the airport must yield a positive financial business case within the foreseeable future, a new airport decision must be adopted in good time, MAA must receive a nature permit and the costs for runway renovation and other overdue maintenance must be covered by the province.

In the coming period, Schiphol and MAA will continue to analyze how a sound business case could be realised. Schiphol, together with MAA and its shareholder, will also make the necessary preparations to arrive at a cooperation agreement or a share transaction soon after the provincial decision has been made, depending on the decision-making process and further elaboration in the follow-up process.