Exclusive – Schiphol Cargo becomes part of a new operational cluster

Covid-19 has forced Schiphol Group into another management reshuffle a mere 2.5 years after the previous one. The cargo players hope that the new organization will retain the visibility
of their business.

After much conflict, Schiphols’ cargo business is now facing a fundamental organizational change: The greater part of the Aviation Marketing, Cargo and Customer Experience (ACC) activities will
become part of the cluster Airport Operations (AO), responsible for all airline-related matters, including cargo.
Schiphol’s passenger business will be managed by the new department ‘Schiphol Commercial’.
The new organization has been in place since 01OCT20, but it may take another month for the specific responsibilities to be defined. About a quarter of the heads of department has had to go,
among them ACC’s Maaike van der Windt.

“Given the disastrous results due to Covid-19, we fully understand that something had to happen,” says Managing Director Maarten van As of Air Cargo Netherlands (ACN). “Our main
concern is that the cargo interests remain clearly visible. Only 2.5 years ago, cargo ceased to exist as a separate department.”

Schiphols' cargo business becomes part of the cluster Airport Operations (AO)  -  image: AMS
Schiphols’ cargo business becomes part of the cluster Airport Operations (AO) – image: AMS

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Open discussion
Mr van As stresses that ACN has been involved in a very open discussion with the Schiphol Management, and he is convinced that the message has been received.

“They will have to decide how to give form to cargo within the new organization – maybe as a business unit within AO? In his New Year’s message [Schiphol’s CEO] Dick Benschop clearly
indicated that cargo is important for Schiphol, and we have the impression that the management takes an open view in this respect.”

The same impression is expressed by Rogier Spoel, Airfreight Advisor of the shippers’ organization evofenedex. “We feel that the interest in cargo clearly exists at management level,” he
says. “The question remains how it will be managed and who will be at the helm.” Evofenedex, too, has the impression that Mr Benschop intends to safeguard cargo, Mr Spoel says.

Marcel Schoeters in Amsterdam

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Source: Cargoforwarder

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