In an announcement on 25th January, the Schiphol Group revealed that the agreement has been extended for at least five years, to the end of 2012.

The agreement was signed on 23rd January by Jacques Greitemann, Managing Director of Schiphol International and Frendsel Giel, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA). Present at the signing was the Minister of Tourism and Transport, Edison Briesen.

The new contract strengthens the ties between the two parties. Both parties will now be looking into the possibility of forming a more structural relationship. The positive changes made at AAA since the start of the partnership in 2004 are expected to continue, enabling Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix to continue to count itself among the region's best airports.

Welcoming the agreement, Managing Director Jacques Greitemann of Schiphol International commented: "We are now entering the next phase, in which the development of activities in and around Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix will continue. When the partnership started in 2004 the airport was still making a loss structurally. Thanks to the joint approach, the number of passengers has increased considerably through the years and the airport's operations and commercial opportunities have continued to improve. The airport is an important engine of the Aruban economy."

In 2007, approximately 1.8 million passengers travelled through Aruba Airport; 116,000 of them flew to or from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. At present there are eight flights a week between Schiphol and Aruba. They are operated by KLM, Martinair and ArkeFly.