AMSTERDAM SCHIPHOL, NETHERLANDS – Due to a global decrease of air traffic caused by the corona crisis, many passenger aircraft are not flying anymore since a few weeks and are parked at many airports worldwide, like Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – one of the largest and busiest airports in Europe. Soon probably more passenger aircraft will follow their way to improvised parking space at platforms and gates at the airport. Airlines with Schiphol as their home base airport – such as KLM, Transavia, Corendon and TUI Fly – have parked most of their passenger aircraft at almost every corner of Schiphol Airport. Even runway 18L-36R – also known as de Aalsmeerbaan – is used since this week by KLM to park widebody aircraft like the Airbus A330.
Passenger Dennis Jansen shared this sad video on Twitter Saturday, on board KLM Flight KL686 from Mexico City to Amsterdam, recorded on March 28 during a flyby over Amsterdam Schiphol, just minutes prior to the last landing ever of KLM Boeing 747 with registration PH-BFS. During the flyover it’s clear to see how many passenger aircraft are parked at the airport.
Today – only 3 days later – the airport is even more crowded with a lot of extra parked aircraft – almost the complete KLM fleet, including the last Boeing 747s. The iconic Queen of the Skies retired last Sunday.
Since Sunday, KLM passenger aircraft are also parked on Schiphol’s Aalsmeerbaan (runway 18L-36R), after Schiphol, Luchtverkeersleiding Nederland (ATC Netherlands) and KLM reached an agreement on the parking of about 25 widebody aircraft on the runway, until regular air traffic is resumed.
☆☆☆
Aviation News, Videos and More!