Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM)
History, Facts and Overview

(Rotterdam, Netherlands)

Close to Rotterdam harbour and in the Waalhaven area, the city's previous airport was badly bombed in the Second World War. During the post war years of the 1940s, the government of the Netherlands decided that a secondary airport to supplement Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport was required and a new site was chosen, on the north-western outskirts of Rotterdam, between the suburbs of Kethel and Schiebroek.

By 1956, construction of Rotterdam Airport (RTM) was completed and services began, with international airlines soon offering flights to areas of France, Germany and Switzerland. For many years, the future of Rotterdam Airport remained in doubt, due to considerable planned developments nearby. However, from the 1990s onwards, the large airlines once again began to use the airport and passenger numbers quickly rose and the future is once again assured.


Within Rotterdam Airport are plenty of facilities to keep travellers occupied, including a wireless Internet service for business travellers, accessible throughout the complex. For refreshments, the Horizon is a gourmet self-service restaurant situated on the first floor, providing panoramic views of the runway and incoming aircraft. The Rotterdam Airport Shop provides essential gifts, duty-free goods and designer clothing brands, such as Armani, Ralph Lauren and Yves St. Laurent. An area known as the 'panorama promenade' is designed for visitors who wish to view the planes arriving and departing.

There are conference rooms and wireless Internet facilities at the airport. For those with a special pass, the Rotterdam Airport Lounge is available and provides a peaceful environment for passengers who need to catch up with work on their PDAs or laptops. Those without a pass can pay upon entry. Additionally, the nearby Golden Tulip Airport Hotel has conference and meeting facilities for up to 1,000 delegates.