The Schiphol Airport group is taking a 40% stake in Maastricht Aachen Airport for €4.2 million and will invest a further €800,000 in a special environmental fund.

MAA is in poor financial shape and this summer the Limburg provincial government, which owns the rest of the shares, only agreed to keep it open on condition a partner was brought in.

Schiphol, which is 100% owned by the national government, and Amsterdam and Rotterdam city councils, described the new partnership as a ‘strategic alliance’.

The deal, Schiphol said, means MAA will be able to focus on the development of a sustainable and future-proof airport and electric-powered aviation would be one of the main priorities.

MAA is the second largest cargo airport in the Netherlands and also offers passenger flights to countries such as Italy, Portugal, Spain and Britain.

Limburg bought the airport from its private owners for the symbolic amount of €1 in 2019 after the province voted to limit the airport’s expansion.

Schiphol also has a stake in Eindhoven airport, the rest of which is owned by Eindhoven city council and the province of Noord Brabant, and is the direct owner of Schiphol, Rotterdam and Lelystad airports.