Nov 14, 2023 at 4:22 PM Update: 41 minutes ago
The downsizing plans for Schiphol will be postponed for another year. Outgoing Minister of Infrastructure Mark Harbers has to withdraw part of his plan after pressure from the United States and Canada and a letter from the European Commission.
Harbers sent an email about this on Tuesday afternoon brief to the House of Representatives.
In the past year, before the decision, the minister fought several lawsuits against airlines that wanted to put a stop to the downsizing plans. Ultimately, the downsizing plan was allowed to go ahead, but the minister won. The maximum number of flights at Schiphol had to be reduced from 500,000 to 460,000 next year and later to 452,000.
In recent weeks, international unrest has arisen again about the shrinkage of Schiphol after the distribution of the flight slots for next year. Due to the shrinkage, only companies with historical rights were eligible for space at Schiphol.
This meant that the American airline JetBlue lost the opportunity to fly to Schiphol next summer. JetBlue then asked the American government to ban KLM from American airports.
Americans found the downsizing plan discriminatory
Harbers states in the letter to Parliament that the United States and Canada, among others, have expressed their concerns. The Americans called the downsizing plan unjust, discriminatory and anti-competitive, writes Harbers.
And the American government had also announced countermeasures. For example, since the beginning of November, Dutch airlines have had to share their flight schedules in advance with the American government. Follow-up measures may also have been in the works.
On Monday, Harbers spoke with representatives of the American government and the EU. There, the Americans once again repeated their criticism of the downsizing plan.
‘Not following EU rules’
Another reason to refrain from downsizing for the time being is a letter from European Commissioner for Transport Adina-Ioana Vălean that the Ministry of Infrastructure received on Monday. According to Harbers, Vălean expresses serious concerns about not following the guidelines balanced approach-procedure.
EU rules prescribe that you must follow the correct sequence of steps to reduce noise pollution. Airlines must be given the opportunity to achieve this in a way other than flying less. That has always been the criticism of airlines.
According to Harbers, Vălean hints in her letter that the European Commission can initiate proceedings for non-compliance with European regulations.
Harbers calls decision ‘a bitter pill’
Harbers writes in his letter that canceling the contraction for next year is “a bitter pill for the environment”. But he also writes that “the cabinet is committed to restoring the balance between Schiphol and its living environment”.
The downsizing plan also included a significant reduction in the number of night flights. Because this will not happen now, Harbers has asked KLM to limit noise pollution for the area as much as possible. KLM will therefore use the quietest aircraft possible for flights during the night hours from March 2024.
Schiphol sees a return of uncertainty among local residents
Schiphol itself, fully owned by the government, always cooperated with the downsizing plans. Now the airport has responded in response to saying it is disappointed that the contraction has been postponed again. “Reducing the number of flights was not a goal in itself, but there was finally clarity for local residents,” said a statement from the airport.
“Now there is more uncertainty again. It is high time that local residents experience noticeably less inconvenience. The need for a night-time closure of Schiphol is becoming even greater. And this also applies to the ban on private flights and the banning of the noisiest aircraft.” , the statement said.
2023-11-14 15:22:12
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