A roadmap towards a new logistics concept for Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Abstract

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is the main international airport in the Netherlands, being the third busiest airport in Europe in terms of passenger volumes (Insideflyer, 2020). All these passengers spent most of their time behind the security check in the terminal, waiting for their aircraft to depart. In this area, passengers are encouraged to spend their money (Kaplan, 2018). Schiphol offers many different retail, and food and beverages stores where the passengers’ needs can be met. The sale of goods in the terminal is Schiphol’s largest source of income (Schiphol, 2020). The passenger volumes at Schiphol have been growing in the last few years and are expected to keep growing in the coming years (CBS, 2018 and Schiphol, 2020). Growth in the passenger volumes causes both the passenger and goods flows to increase. In addition, there are many other streams in the terminal. In order to ensure that passengers are not hindered by these flows and all logistics processes take place in a safe manner, the logistics process will need to be set up differently. Schiphol is dealing with a complex environment, where there is no greenfield and solutions will have to be found within the current infrastructure. Therefore, the goal of my graduation project was to develop a new logistics concept for Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in 2030 with a focus on the passenger experience and safety norms. Various design methods and tools have been used to research the current logistics process, the values of stakeholders and trends that may play a role in the future of the logistics process. Based on these results, a future vision for the logistics process has been designed for 2030. The future vision contains that Schiphol will have to facilitate and control the logistics process in 2030, using a connected chain and autonomous processes. In order to meet the passenger experience and safety norms, it is mainly important that Schiphol gets control over the logistics flows to Schiphol, control in the logistics streets and control over the logistics flows to the terminal. In order to achieve the future vision, idea mapping sessions have been organised, from which the new logistics concept has been created. Both a strategic and tactical roadmap have been designed, in which service propositions work towards the new logistics concept in three horizons. These propositions take into account the various suppliers involved in the logistics concept and offer a new logistics concept for each of them. The new logistics process centralises the logistics processes to a Logistics Centre in the Schiphol area, from where Schiphol takes full control with the Schiphol Logistics Service and delivers all goods to the terminal. By centralising the logistics processes and making one logistics party responsible for the logistics process, the number of logistics flows in the logistics streets and the terminal will be reduced, thereby benefiting the passenger experience and safety norms.