Aeroports de Paris, which operates the main Paris-area airports, and Schiphol Group, operator of Amsterdam Schiphol, recently agreed to enter into an initial 12-year alliance that will include each acquiring an 8 per cent stake in the other, establishment of a “dual hub” philosophy for Paris CDG and AMS that is expected to produce annual air-side synergies/ savings totaling €89 million (US$119.4 million) and “joint ventures” to acquire and develop airports around the world. The deal is expected to be completed by end-November.

Specifically, ADP and Schiphol Group said they expected the cooperation to strengthen their relationship and integration with clients, the largest of which is the Air France-KLM airline group, through ‘optimised connectivity’ between the two airports, aligned processes and improved air-side operations and baggage/cargo handling.

The move teams the operators of the sixth (CDG), 12th (AMS) and 43rd (Paris Orly) busiest commercial airports globally and respectively the second, fifth and 10th busiest in Europe in terms of passenger traffic, according to Airports Council International’s full-year 2007 rankings.