Schiphol donates 29 electric buses to Ukraine for public transport

Schiphol Airport is donating 29 electric buses to Ukraine to support local public transportation. The donation was announced by the airport and the Protect Ukraine foundation, which said the vehicles will be used to transport passengers locally.

The 29 electric buses previously transported passengers within Schiphol's secure airport grounds. In Ukraine, they will be handed over to local and regional governments, schools, and other public institutions, including a hospital that treats war veterans.

The buses will also carry humanitarian aid on their journey to Ukraine. Schiphol and Protect Ukraine said the vehicles will be loaded with supplies such as generators and medical equipment before departure.

These generators and batteries are intended to provide electricity to civilians and military personnel. Protect Ukraine founder Jaap Scholten said the equipment is particularly important because Russian attacks have disrupted essential services in Ukrainian cities.

The buses are expected to be used as both school buses and city buses, helping children reach schools and residents travel around their communities. Ukrainian authorities selected the recipients based on local needs and their ability to operate the vehicles.The donation also includes four charging stations to help the Ukrainian recipients operate the electric vehicles, NOS reports.

The buses have been in service for more than a decade. Schiphol introduced 35 electric buses in 2014, becoming the first airport in the world to operate all passenger transport on its apron using electric vehicles the following year. The vehicles have since been replaced by a newer generation.

Schiphol CEO Pieter van Oord, who is also involved with the nature park, said he began considering what the airport could contribute after hearing about that initiative. He noticed that dozens of replaced airport buses were standing unused and discovered they were still waiting for buyers. “Buses that we no longer use here can still make a real difference in Ukraine.”

He also said Schiphol had worked with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ukrainian embassy to determine where the vehicles could be put to the best use.

Protect Ukraine says it provides assistance to support Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion. The foundation regularly organizes convoys to Ukraine to deliver various types of aid.

Scholten said the foundation has raised approximately 30 million euros in money and goods since Russia's full-scale invasion, but less than 7 percent of that contribution came from businesses. “Now it's the business community's turn.”

He argued that companies could donate vehicles, generators, machinery, and other equipment they no longer need but that could still be useful in Ukraine.