Schipol to bid for Brussels Zaventem

[Runway 31]

I noticed a report that the owners of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport have made a bid for the Brussels Zaventem. Schiphol is reportedly willing to pay as much as 500 million euros to keep the Brussels airport out of the hands of the competition.

Zaventem is two-thirds owned by the Belgian government, which is seeking to sell most of its shares. With other shareholders also willing to sell, around 70 percent of the shares in Zaventem have become available.

I know that Holland and Belgium are neighbours but is there enough competition to require a bid and what will it mean to airlines and their passengers ?

[brabazon]

Sorry to be pedantic, but it's SchipHol - I remember reading somwhere it is Dutch for Ship's Grave - ie where ships in olden times sunk when the area was part of the North Sea before the land was reclaimed, that story may be wrong, but it's certainly spelt that way.