This is where the pigs come in:
"The pigs were immediately brought to the field within 12 hours of the sugar beet harvest on Tuesday," Haarhuis told De Telegraaf. "They eat the crop residue so that there will be nothing left for the geese to get."
It is hoped the two-hectare pigsty between runways 18R-36L and 18C-36C will put off the birds.
Birds are a big problem for airports, particularly one as busy as Schiphol. There are around 150 bird strike incidents a year, with 6.6 birds hit per 10,000 aircraft movements.
A bird - particularly one the size of an Egyptian goose - can cause a lot of damage to an aircraft engine. In February a KLM Boeing 777 service to Tanzania was advised to turn around six hours into its flight after engine problems from hitting a bird.
The team of bird controllers have resorted to extreme measures to control the population of birdlife around the runways. From introducing harrier hawks and falconry to noise cannons and lasers, there are few things they won't try to scare birds off the landing strips. However, not all solutions have been so humane.
In 2014 the cull of 7000 geese was signed off by the airport to combat a flock of unruly Egyptian Geese.
However, it is hoped that the use of pigs will reduce the Airport's need to cull more animals, choosing instead to live and let fly.
