The contraction would mean that the network should shrink by about a fifth.
The cabinet wants to reduce the total number of flight movements at the airport from a maximum of 500,000 to 440,000 per year. This is to limit noise pollution and the impact on the environment. As the largest user of Schiphol, KLM will be hard hit by this.
In June, the company had already said it feared for the continued existence of the network as we know it today. KLM also indicated that Schiphol’s hub function would be severely compromised. But there were still no concrete scenarios for the impact of the cabinet decision. KLM has now put it on paper and sent it to the members of the House of Representatives.
From Porto to Boston
One possible scenario is the cancellation of around 25 European destinations. This includes cities like Kiev, Porto and Belgrade. For example, Montreal, Boston, Taipei and Osaka could be dropped off on long-haul destinations.
The company speaks of “considerable damage” to its network, especially as the company must suffer from the numerous transfer passengers flying, for example, from Asia via Schiphol to another destination in Europe. “In recent years, we have added unique connections to make the operation in Europe profitable and make KLM financially sound.”
