Schiphol | The Schiphol Tower(s)

Who wouldn’t recognise the Schiphol Tower? This iconic eye-catcher, which at 101 meters is the tallest control tower in the Netherlands, was opened by Queen Beatrix on 4 June 1991. But did you know that there are even more towers at our airport?

Tower Centre

The most famous control tower at our airport is, of course, the tower at Schiphol Centre. At the top of the Schiphol Tower, you’ll find air traffic controllers who work for Air Traffic Control the Netherlands. Working one floor below are our Schiphol colleagues from gate planning (who determine at which gate an aircraft parks), bus coordination (who manage the buses that transport travellers to and from the terminal when their plane isn’t parked at a gate) and apron control. They are responsible for towing aircraft and determining the best route to take.

Tower West

Did you know that a second tower is in operation at Schiphol almost every day? Because the Polderbaan Runway is located too far from the main control tower, there’s a second tower there: Tower West. When the Polderbaan is in use, air traffic controllers are stationed in this tower to guide the departing and landing aircraft.

Backup

In addition to these two towers, both of which are still in operation (almost) daily, there is a third one. It served as Schiphol's main control tower until 1992. In the 1980s, development at the airport increased due to the expansion of piers and aircraft stands. As a result, air traffic control's visibility at this location became too limited and Tower Centre was built. We still use the old tower as our official emergency tower.

The very first

We’ve had more control towers over the years. The very first was located at the ‘old’ Schiphol, the area we now know as Schiphol East. After the first passenger plane landed at our airport in 1920, it became increasingly important for non-military flights. The Municipality of Amsterdam purchased the land to build a terminal building, and it was completed just in time for the 1928 Olympic Games. During the Second World War, this building and the accompanying tower were completely destroyed by bombs. The real tower can no longer be visited, but you can still find a replica at the Aviodrome aviation museum.

Grab a bite to eat in the old control tower

After the war, every effort was made to get the airport back into operation as quickly as possible. This was successful and planes were able to take off and land at Schiphol again within just a few months. Eventually, a new control tower was also built. It opened its doors in 1952 and remained in service until the entire airport moved to the present-day Schiphol Centre in 1967. Nowadays, you can grab a bite to eat in the old control tower at Wings restaurant.