The Dutch government has announced plans to cut back the number of flights at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport as part of a policy aimed at reducing noise and air pollution.
The plan would see the Netherlands’ hub airport restricted to 440,000 flights per year, which would be a 20 per cent cut on previous projections of 540,000 flights from Schiphol. The move is expected to come into effect in November 2023.
The airport said the government’s plan would create “great uncertainty”, with KLM adding that the move would have “dramatic consequences” for the airline and for the “accessibility of the Netherlands”.
Mark Harbers, minister of infrastructure and water management, said: “It’s difficult news for the aviation sector, which is still recovering from the huge impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I am very much aware of this. We will now be fleshing out the details of our decision on the Amsterdam Schiphol airport, together with local residents and aviation stakeholders.”
Schiphol said that it wanted to work with the government and airlines on a “well-thought-out approach” to reduce noise and pollution.
The airport added in a statement: “The plans of the cabinet as presented now lead to great uncertainty and much remains unclear. We see that major risks are being taken with regard to the quality of the network.
“There is also the risk that going back to the old noise system would mean a shift in noise nuisance that would not be beneficial to the surrounding communities.”
KLM said that the move to cut flights would “not achieve the desired benefits for our climate and quality of life”.
The airline added in its statement: “The decision is in conflict with the government’s coalition agreement in three different ways: it does not tally with the desire to retain a strong hub function for our national economy; it does not support stable and predictable national enterprise; and it fails to improve our quality of life and climate.”
Airports organisation ACI Europe said it “reacted with dismay to the decision” by the Dutch government and called Schiphol’s current air connectivity “a massive benefit to the Netherlands at various levels”.
Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI Europe, added: "In so many ways, Schiphol is what makes the Netherlands bigger than it is. From that standpoint, there is no doubt that the decision of the government to significantly reduce the capacity of the airport will make the Netherlands smaller.”
Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, said: “This sudden decision is a shocking blow to aviation, jobs, and the economy of the Netherlands. It comes on top of a tripling of the passenger tax, and a 37 per cent rise in airport charges.
“We are seeing a throttling of air connectivity which has been steadily built up for 100 years and supported large parts of the Dutch economy and the aspirations of millions of Dutch travellers.”