Royal Schiphol Group has announced Dick Benschop as its new President and CEO, effective 1 May.

Benschop takes over the reins from airport chief Jos Nijhuis who is retiring.

Nijhuis will occupy the role until 30 April and will continue to serve Royal Schiphol Group thereafter until 1 July to ease the transition process.

In addition to being a former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the Dutch government’s Kok-II Cabinet (1998-2002) and President & CEO of Shell Netherlands (2011-2016), Benschop has also worked as a consultant for the Schiphol Group.

Louise Gunning, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Royal Schiphol Group said: “Based on his experience in the public domain, combined with his extensive experience in the business world, we are convinced that he can give a binding direction to the next phase of Schiphol.

“We believe that he is capable of addressing the complex challenges of aviation. We are confident that he and his team can further develop the airport in a smart, safe and sustainable manner. ”

Benschop will seek to build on the sterling achievements of outgoing CEO Jos Nijhuis in growing the European hub’s global aviation standing.

DRIVING CONNECTIVITY

As reported, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol grew its passenger traffic by 7.7% year-on-year to reach 68.4m.

Reflecting on the appointment, Benschop said: “I look forward to being able to lead one of the most dynamic organisations in the Netherlands.

“Aviation faces many challenges and opportunities. How can we further develop in a sustainable way? How can we find a new balance between nuisance and economic importance based on trust?”

Paying tribute to Nijhuis’ outstanding contribution to the airport and Dutch aviation, Gunning added: “Jos led Schiphol to become the airport with the best direct connectivity in Europe and the second best airport in the world when it comes to hub connectivity.

“He has, together with the airlines, KLM in particular, made an important contribution to the connection between the Netherlands and the rest of the world.”