On April 17, sleepless Kennemerland bounced happily. The nocturnal flight paths to Schiphol would be increased and… a new route would be created, between the residential areas!
Now, six months later, that promise has barely been fulfilled. Thus the SOS and the Platform Vlieghinder Regio Kennemerland (PVRK). The farce in the air continues untouchable, although there is nothing to laugh about here.
By: Henk Visser, SOS (Seanse Onderwonenden Schiphol)
After just two months after its introduction, it turned out that virtually nothing had changed in practice. In June 2019, the night flights to the Polderbaan went at an average height of 1126 meters. Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL) gave Airliners the space to fly up to 460 meters higher. Mind you, it was an option, not an obligation. As early as June it turned out that the average height had risen by only 40 meters (!). The measure came about after more than ten years of consultation with resident groups:
Converted into a simple calculation: sobbing 4 meters per year.
Instead of a fixed adjusted flight height, the LVNL came up with the option to fly higher within a bandwidth of 460 meters. Only some international airlines choose a higher route. But KLM and Transavia have not yet programmed their aircraft for this. And they account for 75% of the night flights. The self-protection of the aviation sector is shown by the fact that KLM does not want to share information about this externally.
Air Traffic Control the Netherlands admitted on May 21 that there was “only a limited increase in the average flight height”. In addition: “It is a new possibility that we offer, we cannot oblige them to do so.”
Matt Poelmans, of the Schiphol Residents Council said that he had been told that KLM’s on-board computers want Set up. Which is indeed possible given the elevated routes of foreign Airliners. The sleepless nights therefore primarily come from our own economic favorite child: the blue swan.
The adaptation of the flight route promised by the LVNL has turned out to be a castle in the air. Now, six months later, nothing has changed in the flight paths at night.
We become ‘Geschipholt’. RyanAir flies for 5 Euro (!) To popular (Corona sensitive) holiday destinations. Over our heads, in the night and everything is possible.
Can you feel a little bit with me what an upside down world means? Where an elected parliament, serving the electorate, gives preference to multinationals and economic interests, at the expense of the same citizen. Worse, the voter lies and cheats. Contrary to article 21 of the constitution.
As we can conclude, LVNL has returned to its earlier promise. At first it was a ‘winding path’ in the direction of Schiphol, between residential areas, which would have actually resulted in a reduction of nuisance … Ultimately, it is only a matter of adjusting the flight height. Which apparently causes ‘practical problems’ (at KLM).
A umpteenth broken promise.
Zaanstad now has to play hard on the promise of LVNL / Schiphol to adjust the (night) flight routes, as announced earlier. To force the Administrative Directorate of Schiphol to table this promise as unconditional. Without concessions.
That is possible. In the lowlands of the Netherlands there are no geographic obstacles (mountains) that influence flight routes. The resistance and non-participation of the aviation sector is purely and solely for profit. Each landing aircraft follows the most economically viable route and altitude. The consequences: health, noise nuisance, will be passed on to the national government … Co-shareholder. And it passes it on to the residents, to you and me.
False promises that have not been kept.
And we hear, breathe, swallow and take it. For years.
www.sos-zaanstreek.nl
Photo: Jan Lapère
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