Amsterdam- Profit maximization should not be Schiphol Airport's main goal nor should the Dutch airport be privatized, Schiphol's new chief executive officer Jos Nijhuis said in an interview with Dutch daily newspaper Volkskrant on Tuesday.

"I will not try to privatize Schiphol," Nijhuis said.

His predecessor Gerlach Cerfontaine lobbied tirelessly for privatization of the Dutch airport for many years. He argued that only a privatized Schiphol would be able to compete with other major airports on a global level.

But Nijhuis, who succeeded Cerfontaine in January, said he does "not see the use of privatization. It does not serve Schiphol's social function, which is very stable.

Currently, the national government is our major shareholder. A very stable shareholder who also supports our social function," he added.

The Dutch government owns 75 per cent of Schiphol Airport while 21.8 per cent is owned by the city of Amsterdam.

Nijhuis also said he wanted to improve Schiphol's social function and image, which he said was damaged due to the economic crisis.

Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam is one of the biggest airports in Western Europe. In 2008, it carried over 50 million passengers and transported 1.56 million tons of cargo.

Due to the economic crisis and a special airport tax - which was abolished several months after its implementation - the airport suffered from a loss of passengers and lower company results in 2008.

Its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in 2008 dropped from 594 million euros (801 million dollars) to 466 million euros. (dpa)