STORY: Amsterdam airport is European hub for Chinese market, says official
SHOOTING TIME: June 27, 2024
DATELINE: July 1, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:54
LOCATION: Amsterdam
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of an event marking the 40th anniversary of China's Xiamen Airlines (Xiamen Air) and the 9th anniversary of the Amsterdam-Xiamen route
2. SOUNDBITE (English): WILCO SWEIJEN, Airline Partnerships Director of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
3. various of the event
4. SOUNDBITE (English): WILCO SWEIJEN, Airline Partnerships Director of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

STORYLINE:

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport serves as the European hub for the Chinese market, Schiphol's Airline Partnerships Director Wilco Sweijen said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Sweijen made the remarks at an event Thursday last week marking the 40th anniversary of China's Xiamen Airlines (Xiamen Air) and the 9th anniversary of the Amsterdam-Xiamen route.
   
SOUNDBITE (English): WILCO SWEIJEN, Airline Partnerships Director of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
"The strength of how the relationship has grown between China and the Netherlands has always been that it was well connected. We could say that we were the European hub for the Chinese market. A lot of business, Chinese businesses have established themselves in the Netherlands, not only serving Holland or the Netherlands, but in fact, using the Netherlands as their European stepping stone to be able to connect to the rest of Europe. So that is where everything has been successful in that sense. It's not only business relationships, it's also tourism.
The success, I think of Xiamen Air and Amsterdam, has been that we have worked together closely. Xiamen Air has also been cooperating very closely with KLM (Dutch flag carrier) and they are close partners. And they have been using the strength of Xiamen as a hub, but also the strength of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport as a hub to connect passengers, not only between the Netherlands and China, but also between the world through Amsterdam to China and vice versa."

Sweijen highlighted the extension of China's visa-free policy to 2025 as an opportunity to enhance connectivity.

SOUNDBITE (English): WILCO SWEIJEN, Airline Partnerships Director of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
"It's a lot easier to go there. And not only to go to China, but also it's easier to connect through China to go to other destinations. So it's a really good establishment and also gives China the opportunity to promote itself more as a tourist destination."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Amsterdam.
(XHTV)