easyJet will open a base at Amsterdam Schiphol from Spring 2015. Amsterdam now becomes easyJet’s 26th network base. This investment will bring more choice for Dutch passengers and lower fares. It will also help boost local tourism and economic growth with the creation of hundreds of jobs and increased passenger numbers.

easyJet has offered easy and affordable flights to and from Schiphol since 1996. This announcement marks easyJet’s first ever base in the Netherlands and further strengthens the airline’s long term strategic position at Amsterdam Schiphol, where it holds a 9% market share. Amsterdam is already one of the airline’s most successful network points with more than 3.5 million passengers flying annually to and from 21 destinations.

Three A320 aircraft will be based at Amsterdam Schiphol. This will enable easyJet to offer more early morning departures which are popular with business passengers, expand the number of cities easyJet connects to Amsterdam while also building a stronger outbound schedule for Dutch leisure travellers. With this extra capacity easyJet expects to fly an additional 600,000 passengers next year, an incremental 16% year-on-year increase, giving a whole new generation of easyJet customers access to Europe’s best point to point network.

easyJet will add Hamburg as its newest destination from Amsterdam starting in November 2014, with additional routes launched later this autumn

Hundreds of new staff will be recruited to serve the base with the creation of 120 direct jobs mainly pilots and cabin crew, all employed by easyJet on local contracts and observing local employment law. This comes in addition to the 3,500 indirect jobs that easyJet already helps generate locally. Growth is likely to continue with plans to base additional aircraft at Schiphol over the next few years and creating additional jobs. Recruitment for easyJet staff starts tomorrow with adverts going live on our website at careers.easyjet.com, online and in print.

Carolyn McCall, easyJet CEO commented: “This base is the next step in our long term contribution to Dutch aviation that started in 1996. Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a new programme of growth at Schiphol. We have built a strong number two position here which we now need to consolidate and grow.

“easyJet is ideally positioned to support the growth of Schiphol in areas where the main port needs it. We plan to carry many more passengers to and from the Netherlands thus supporting its vital tourism sector while making it even easier and better value for business travellers.

“One million business travellers already fly with easyJet to and from Schiphol – around one third of our total number of passengers. Our latest expansion plans at Schiphol will only help grow this number. Furthermore, every passenger we fly in goes on to generate wealth for Amsterdam and its surrounding region, and contributes to the Netherlands’ economic success more generally.”

Jos Nijhuis, Schiphol CEO commented: “easyJet is a loyal customer that flies to Schiphol since 1996. By opening a base, easyJet confirms this sustainable relationship that European destinations add to Schiphol.”