At Schiphol, the Polder runway, the Zwanenburg runway and the Aalsmeer runway lie parallel to each other.
The three parallel runways at Schiphol, from left to right: the Polder runway, the Zwanenburg runway and the Aalsmeer runway.
With large numbers of departing flights, depending on the circumstances, the Polder runway and the Zwanenburg runway can be used for take-offs to the North at the same time. The Zwanenburg runway and the Aalsmeer runway can be used at the same time for take-offs to the South. With a high volume of incoming flights, the Polder runway and the Zwanenburg runway can be used for these at the same time, for landings from the South, and the Zwanenburg and Aalsmeer runways can be used at the same time for landings from the North.
The ability to use parallel runways depends on the weather conditions and visibility. For safety reasons, procedures have also been established for this. Additional conditions are imposed regarding matters including the available system support and the number of active air traffic controllers.