After the protests: the number of flights in Amsterdam will not be reduced

In order to protect the climate, nature and the local population, the Dutch government wanted to reduce the number of flight movements at Amsterdam Airport. But after protests from the European Union and the United States of America, this measure has been suspended for the time being.

Following international protests, the Dutch government will initially not reduce air traffic at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Infrastructure Minister Mark Harpers told parliament in The Hague that the measure has been suspended for the time being. The number of flights was originally supposed to be reduced from a maximum of 500,000 flights to about 460,000 next year.

Schiphol Airport and local residents expressed their regret over the decision. On the other hand, airlines reacted with relief. They took the cuts to court in court. The matter must now be decided by the highest court in the land.

Resistance from the European Union and the United States

The minister spoke of the “bitter pill.” But the government is committed to the plan in the long term. In order to protect the climate, nature and local people, the airport must be smaller. But now there are legal objections from the European Union Commission and the United States of America, among others.

The US government protested the planned measure because the reduction would also affect US airlines and announced countermeasures. Dutch airline KLM’s US landing rights were also at risk. The European Union Commission also expressed legal concerns because the decision to reduce was not taken in agreement with the aviation sector.

Airlines He will be deprived

The Netherlands’ original decision meant that airlines without existing rights would not receive Schiphol seats for the summer of 2024, while they would be allocated three percent fewer take-off rights than before.

US airline JetBlue, one of the new entrants denied a grant, in October called on the US Department of Transportation to ban KLM from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in response to the plans.