In a bid to relieve Schiphol of its business aviation traffic, Lelystad Airport, Holland, has started to make the changes which it hopes will ensure a busy future. European Business Air News spoke to Pieter van der Ham, manager of commercial affairs, about the most recent happenings at Lelystad. \rVan der Ham said: "In the past few weeks, we have widened our taxiways from 10 to 15 metres and that makes us ICAO category 3C compliant. The second main thing that will happen in March/April of next year is that our main runway will be strengthened or grooved, thus enabling us to have some heavier aircraft, like for example the 146. \r"In my opinion, the grooved runway is the perfect system because it enables you to offer a dry runway under each weather condition, even in high rainfall circumstances. Therefore, aircraft using these runways do not have to take an extra length into account due to a possible wet runway. \r"In spite of a rather limited 1,250 metre length, operators will be able to perform with aircraft on this runway because the grooving gives us lots of possibilities."\rNext on Lelystad's New Year's resolution list is the installation of ILS (category I) and airport lighting. This, however, may have to wait until the autumn of 2000 to be operative, when the air traffic control zone will be ready - a "crucial date" in the airport's future. Van der Ham said: "We are well on the way to having our air traffic control, instrument landing system etc ready by the end of next year and that makes us much more interesting for the whole aviation business.\r"We think that the combination of the air traffic control zone with ILS will be the essential item to have here at Lelystad to be able to receive more traffic. We already have a new terminal building, we have JetA1 and AvGas, and over the next year, we will be busy upgrading our fire controls to Category IV."\rStructural and technical improvements are one thing, but Van der Ham says that the general overhaul of Lelystad must not stop there. He told EBAN: "During the course of next year, we are thinking of renaming and reopening the airport. We believe the best way to address the market is to make a reopening.\r"After all, when you think of Lelystad, you shouldn't be wondering where in Holland we are situated. In actual fact, we are only 35 miles away from Schiphol, half an hour by car, a smaller distance than say Stansted from the City of London. In the case of Lelystad, you must be able to make a link between our capital and the place where the airport is."\rOffering a brief insight into Lelystad's current general aviation capabilities, Van der Ham concluded: "We are developing here especially to take over the business aviation part from Schiphol but we also can offer possibilities for regular services with limited aircraft, for example an ATR 146 and Falcon 50 as well." \rMeanwhile, Lelystad's new managing director, fresh from duties at Amsterdam Airport, Schiphol, has been named as Ruben Sicking.