‘Now go ahead with Lelystad Airport’ | The matter

To start with the latter: the airport near the Flevoland capital now mainly accommodates small private aircraft, which make their rounds close to the airport. That’s really a nuisance, claims J&E, who sees potential in opening the Lelystad airport for holiday flights: “Relief of small circulating small planes above Lelystad neighbourhoods. That really bothers you, I should know, I live a few kilometers away…”

Many proponents of opening the airport point to the investments already made. John 1947 says: “This won’t be another infrastructure blunder, will it? It cost gold to get this airport into usable condition and now a few environmental hobbyists are holding it back! Making decisions now and letting charters depart from ‘Ugly City’. Budget airlines can operate well there. It relieves Schiphol of the lazy passengers during the holiday season. Groningen can also open for holiday flights. That saves a mountain of car trips to the west. Carry on now!”

“You can’t get the Dutch out of an airplane and Schiphol is growing out of its jacket”

Also Wilmavoermans is in favor of opening Lelystad Airport: “That airport must open! Good for employment and it would be ridiculous if there were capital destruction. You can’t get the Dutch out of an airplane and Schiphol is outgrowth because of all the environmental measures that have to be taken into account. Then it is better to spread out and the airport is ready for use!”

Degradation

Pb59 is also sees capital destruction lurking. “Don’t blow it off, otherwise all that money will go down the drain. And then we are not there yet, because the demolition also costs a fortune.”

according to Alfredjfmulder we should finish this plan: “Use as planned. The investments in Lelystad Airport have already been made. The aim should not be to achieve more flight movements in its entirety, but to relieve Schiphol. This will help to reduce the nuisance around Schiphol and better guarantee safety at Schiphol. The benefits and burdens are distributed a little better.”

Spreading the take-offs and landings is also for party reason to be in favor of opening Lelystad: “Three specialized holiday airports in the Netherlands; that would be great. Relieving Schiphol’s workload provides many more opportunities for the future internationally. Holiday traffic puts enormous extra pressure on Schiphol. By relieving it, Schiphol becomes an airport with allure. It is also much more relaxed for the holidaymaker to depart from Rotterdam, Eindhoven or Lelystad. In Austria, look at Innsbruck: only holiday flights. Vienna is thus relieved.”

The story of Leon Adegeest, who argues that opening Lelystad solves nothing and only has drawbacks, is less popular. Brompot even calls him an environmental knight: “The environmental knight wants to send us back into the forest with fallacies and false information on his green path. It is not about a new airport, but about moving flights from one existing airport to another. Of course you are against it, but just tell the truth, Mr Adegeest.”

“We are a schizophrenic country after all”

Fly less

To begin with, opponents of Lelystad think that we should just fly less. Then an extra airport is simply not necessary. Fatty53 is very concerned: “Flying is a disaster for the environment. There is far too much flying around the world. If you look on flight radar, it’s a big cloud of yellow dots and each dot is an airplane. I think it’s strange that you don’t hear all those environmental screamers about this.”

Edwin V_ makes the link with the current housing shortage. Space must be found for housing, so: “Just delete that airport, better for more housing on Flevoland.”

Others, like Caspar, signal that, as so often, we want to save the cabbage and the goat. And that is simply not possible: „We are a schizophrenic country after all. Wanting unbridled growth with everything and wanting to be the best environmental boy in the world simply don’t go together. Point.”

Starting blocks

There is not much faith in the political story. In fact, the behavior of our politicians is used as an argument at will. Fam-Leijten says, for example: “As long as Kaag takes the plane for a trip to Luxembourg, the air pollution is not so bad. Look at the Ruhr area with all the industrial polluters. Lelystad Airport is ready to start, it will relieve Schiphol and it has already cost many millions. So open this airport. Good for employment and economy in Flevoland. Let the climate dramers get to work and do something useful.”

“How about letting go of the thought that it always has to be more and bigger? Enough is enough”

This means that most of the arguments fall in line with the Haarlemmermeerse alderman Nobel, who would rather see holiday flights moved from Schiphol to Lelystad today than tomorrow. That understands Armchair critic of the alderman: “Of course, as alderman, Mr. Nobel stands up for the inhabitants of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. They will wholeheartedly agree with him. But the striking thing is that the inhabitants of Lelystad are also in favor of the opening of Lelystad Airport. Because of the employment that the airport provides. Opponents are those who live below the flight paths. That is why it is of the utmost importance that flying at low altitudes should be avoided as much as possible. In addition, those who really suffer from overflying aircraft must be financially compensated. So that they can insulate their houses better.”

HdR is much less interested in the good intentions of the municipal politician: “Typically a story of an alderman who speaks for his own interest. Spouting nonsense in the form that it creates many jobs; pure nonsense. Appearing attractive to international companies does not mean that they will come to the Netherlands. And where should they settle? In overcrowded Haarlem sometimes? In short, Mr Alderman, can you think of something more original? How about an airport in the sea? And how about flying less? And how about letting go of the thought that it always has to be more and bigger? Enough is enough. Full is full.”

“Open that airport. Great location for holiday flights”

Markerwaard

Another airport, which causes less nuisance, is that perhaps a plan? Many respondents say: put a new Schiphol into the sea, but Thumb has a different idea: “Pump the Markerwaard empty after all and build a mega airport there. Then Schiphol and Lelystad can close. No more noise for the local residents and the Randstad land of the former Schiphol will generate capital because of the housing construction! With the proceeds of that land alone, the new Markerwaard airport can be paid for, so money does not have to be a problem either.”

Clear story, but not for the short term. So? Peer2083: „Holiday flights to Europe from Lelystad; intercontinental and business flights from Schiphol. I can’t make it simpler, but more expensive :).”

Or, according to Portability: “Open that airport. Great location for holiday flights. This gives Schiphol room to strengthen its function as a European hub. Schiphol is economically too important for the Netherlands to give in to all those environmental, climate and other nasties.”

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