Schiphol – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – has purchased more than 50 new electric buses from truck and bus company MAN. These new buses have been designed with continuity, reliability and capacity in mind, and offer various advantages to travellers.
“Schiphol has had a fully electric bus fleet for 10 years now and was one of the first in the Netherlands to have that,” said Sybren Hahn, Executive Director Infrastructure, Schiphol. “With this new generation of buses, we can take a step forward in terms of passenger comfort and continue to guarantee reliability. Bus transport will remain very important over the coming years due to ever larger aircraft and several large-scale renovations. Building on this collaboration, we are committed to further innovation and more sustainability.”
The new buses will transport passengers between the aircraft and the terminal. They have three doors and a lower floor, making it easier and faster for passengers to step onto the bus. Thanks to an innovative layout that emphasises an efficient use of space, these vehicles have more room for standing passengers than their predecessors. The design not only improves the influx and outflow of passengers, but also increases the total floor space. This means that passengers will not have to wait as long and can get to the plane or terminal faster.
As of April 2025, the new electric fleet will replace the previous generation of buses that have now reached the end of their useful life. This renewal ensures the continuity and reliability of bus transport between terminal and apron.
In addition, the rest area for drivers is being fully renovated. This more sustainable building will not only conform to the highest standard when it comes to conditions for rest, but it will also be energy positive. This means that the building will generate more electricity than it uses, highlighting Schiphol’s commitment to improving the work environment for its employees and to minimising its carbon footprint.
“We are proud that MAN is further expanding its cooperation with Schiphol in the field of passenger transport and that we are making a substantial contribution to the ambitious zero emission goals of our national airport,” said Tillo Smets, Sales Manager Public Transport, MAN Nederland.
Looking to the future, the airport has an ambitious goal to be fully emission free in 2030. This means that all its own activities, including ground operations on and around the runways, will no longer produce any emissions.
Hear more from Royal Schiphol Group at FTE Global – the “CES of Aviation” taking place in Los Angeles on 28-30 October 2024. Zahra Merchant, Chapter Lead Robotics, Royal Schiphol Group, is participating in the ‘FTE Robotics & Autonomous Vehicles Symposium’.
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