Jaap Bond: “great opportunities for Den Helder Airport”

Since the beginning of this year, the Supervisory Board of Den Helder Airport A new chairman. With Jaap Bond, Den Helder Airport brings in a highly experienced administrator with a long track record in public administration and regional development.

Bond served as a Provincial Executive member for the Province of North Holland for twelve years (2007–2019), where he was responsible for portfolios including Economic Affairs, Greenports, and Agriculture and Fisheries. In addition to his new position as Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Den Helder Airport, Bond is acting mayor of Bergen and chairman of the Foundation Board of Zeehaven IJmuiden. With his broad experience and strong regional roots, he knows the challenges in North Holland like no other. His ambition is clear: to position the airport more firmly as an indispensable base for offshore energy and security in the North Sea.

A strategic airport of national importance

Den Helder Airport is much more than a regional airport, Bond explains: “If you look at the developments in the North Sea, this airport is of great national importance. Offshore wind is increasing rapidly, and we need to keep all those turbines running. Helicopter traffic from Den Helder Airport plays a major role in this. This airport is also a perfect base for the future use of drones, for the protection of North Sea infrastructure, among other things.”.

What also makes Den Helder Airport unique is the combination of civil and military activities: “Air traffic control, for example, is handled by the Ministry of Defence,” explains Bond. “That has advantages, but it also sometimes makes it more difficult to determine priorities. You see this in the Port of Den Helder as well. Due to the presence of the Royal Netherlands Navy, we play an important role in the security of the Netherlands. At the same time, this means that in areas such as offshore operations, for example, you can sometimes do less than you would like. That is precisely why you have to utilize that combination. And we are quite successful at that at Den Helder Airport.”

Space for growth and development

According to Bond, there are still plenty of opportunities for further development. “I see a significant growth opportunity with the Coast Guard and SAR. They are currently still based at Schiphol, but Den Helder is actually a much more logical location, given its location and activities at sea.” According to him, the fact that this step has not yet been taken is mainly due to public perception. “The only argument you hear is that pilots don't want to live here. To that I would say: come and take a look. The region is beautiful. People often don't know what is here: a fantastic beach, Texel just ten minutes away, and homes that are still affordable.”

In addition to the growth opportunities, there is also plenty of room for new developments: “The airport is still within the noise limits and has ample capacity regarding the number of flight movements. So growth is definitely still possible. The beauty of this airport is also that there is no resistance from the residents: the people of Helden are proud of it. That makes growth a lot easier as well.”

The power of regional cooperation

In addition to being Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Den Helder Airport, Bond is also Chairman of the Foundation Board of Zeehaven IJmuiden: “I think this is a perfect combination. You follow developments on both sides and see where opportunities lie. I think the ports can strengthen each other enormously. After all, you don't have to compete with each other, because the task is big enough. What is coming our way in the coming years is gigantic. The shortage of industrial sites will only increase. So, if you have a port with space for businesses, you have a golden future.”

Bond states that there are still many opportunities for cooperation, even in combination with the Port of Amsterdam: “We really need to try to effectively combine the port and the airport in Den Helder, and regionally the seaport in IJmuiden and the Amsterdam port area. I think there is much more to be gained from that than what we are doing now. But fortunately, I know that the management of the ports thinks the same way.”

The role of the AYOP network

Based on his knowledge and experience, Jaap Bond has been well acquainted with AYOP for quite some time. “As a Provincial Executive member, I was always very involved with the North Sea Canal area, so I know AYOP well from that time.” He therefore sees an important role for the network association: “AYOP can help put Den Helder Airport more firmly on the map and support the lobbying efforts towards The Hague. AYOP’s network is also important for creating more connections with the North Sea Canal area. As mentioned, I think the regions can and should strengthen each other enormously. I believe there are opportunities there for both.”