Mission, vision and strategy

Groningen Airport Eelde is part of the region’s essential infrastructure and focuses on strengthening the regional economy. We aim to improve the accessibility of the Northern Netherlands and contribute to education and sustainable aviation.

Groningen Airport Eelde is the regional airport where airlines and businesses work together and make use of the airport’s infrastructure. We offer an accessible and welcoming environment for passengers, medical transport, training flights, educational institutions and civil and military users.

Together, we are working towards an airport that helps the region move forward: socially relevant, economically valuable, safe, sustainable and easy to use.

Groningen Airport Eelde is more than an airport for holiday travel. It is an important facility for the Northern Netherlands. A place that connects the region, contributes to the economy, creates opportunities for education and innovation and plays an essential role in medical flights.

Our strategy for 2024 to 2033 builds further on this broad role.

Groningen Airport Eelde aims to develop as an airport with strong social relevance, with room for passenger growth, sustainable aviation, education and new business activity. 

Essential infrastructure for the Northern Netherlands

The airport plays an important role in the region. Groningen Airport Eelde facilitates medical flights, donor flights and trauma helicopter operations, among others.

The airport is also an important location for aviation related education. It is home to the KLM Flight Academy, where the pilots of tomorrow are trained. In addition, Groningen Airport Eelde contributes to the accessibility and economic position of the Northern Netherlands.

For businesses, institutions and residents, having an easily accessible airport in their own region is valuable. Not only for holidays, but also for business connections, medical services, education, employment, the business climate and defence. 

Growth based on regional demand

In the coming years, Groningen Airport Eelde aims to serve more passengers from its own region. Many residents of the Northern Netherlands currently travel through airports outside the region.

By strengthening the range of flights available from Groningen Airport Eelde, more travellers can depart close to home. The ambition is to grow towards 350,000 passengers per year by 2033, within the airport’s existing environmental capacity.

This growth will focus on destinations that match demand from the Northern Netherlands, including holiday destinations and business connections. This will improve the region’s accessibility and provide the airport with a stronger financial foundation.

Leading the way in sustainable aviation

Aviation is changing. New technologies such as electric flight, hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels will play an increasingly important role.

Regional airports in particular can make an important contribution to this development, as the first sustainable connections are expected to operate with smaller aircraft over shorter distances.

Through the NXT Airport programme, we work together with businesses, educational institutions and public authorities on innovation, energy and sustainability. 

Airport Campus and education

Education is an important part of the future of Groningen Airport Eelde. The airport already provides a rich practical learning environment for aviation related education and aims to expand this role further.

The Airport Campus brings education, innovation and aviation together in one place. Students can learn in a realistic environment, work on new technologies and discover the future of sustainable aviation.

By 2033, the ambition is for more than 750 students from different educational institutions to study at the campus each year. 

Space for businesses and new activities

Real estate development is also part of the strategy. Business Park Bravo provides space for new aviation related businesses and for the expansion of existing activities on and around the airport site.

This creates opportunities for employment, innovation, maintenance, sustainable aviation and other airport related business activities.

In this way, Groningen Airport Eelde is developing not only as an airport, but also as an economic location where mobility, energy, education and entrepreneurship come together. 

Towards 2033

Groningen Airport Eelde’s strategy is focused on building a strong and future proof airport for the Northern Netherlands.

An airport that creates social value, strengthens regional accessibility, provides space for education, business and defence and actively contributes to making aviation more sustainable.