Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport has unveiled an expanded departure lounge for passengers travelling to European destinations.

The Netherlands hub has added 5,000 square metres of space to its Lounge 1 facilities, which forms part of a wider programme of improvements at the airport.

Schiphol has also redeveloped existing space in the lounge including a new “walking route” to improve the flow of passengers. This includes a new plaza with more seats and plans to open new restaurants and shops.

Sybren Hahn, executive director of Schiphol Infrastructure, said the improved Lounge 1 was an “important step” in the redevelopment of the airport.

“This new area sets a new standard for how we want to welcome passengers, with more space, comfort and modern facilities,” added Hahn.

“It’s one example of our efforts to align the space available at Schiphol with passenger numbers. We continue to work hard on making Schiphol future-proof, with quality and experience being the focus.”

Lounge 1 has been expanded by converting a former car park and parts of four existing buildings into the new plaza area. The development used materials such as bamboo wall panels to make it more sustainable.

Schiphol plans to invest €6 billion in renovating the airport over the next five years, including work to improve the infrastructure and services for both passengers and airlines.