Amsterdam Schiphol Airport had a festive welcome for its billionth passenger on Wednesday. The lucky traveller, Inge Serné from Haarlem, arrived around half past twelve on a KLM flight from New York. She received presents, flowers and champagne.
Schiphol CEO Jos Nijhuis and KLM director Peter Hartman welcomed the woman and her partner at gate F3. Ms Serné had been selected in advance and knew what was going to happen. She was asked to donate a cheque for 10,000 euros to a charity of her choice and received a 2,000-euro travel voucher.
Mr Nijhuis reflected on the enormous growth the airport has undergone in the past few years:
“We carried half of the one billion passengers in the past 11 years. It was 27 June 2000 when we welcomed the 500-millionth passenger.”
The first scheduled flight landed at Schiphol in 1920, carrying two passengers from London. Earlier, Schiphol had served as a military airfield.
The airport expects to handle a record 50 million passengers this year. It currently offers scheduled flights to 303 destinations in more than 100 countries. Schiphol ranks fifth among European passenger airports and 15th worldwide.
(gsh/imm)
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
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