The Dutch government is expected to cut the maximum number of flights allowed per year at Amsterdam Schiphol airport in a bid to reduce noise and air pollution.
The country’s busiest aviation hub will see a maximum limit of 440,000 flights per year according to the approved proposal aiming to cut 20% of the current annual flights. The changes could go into effect in November 2023.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expressed discontent at the announcement by the government of the Netherlands will cut the number of annual flights.
“This sudden decision is a shocking blow to aviation, jobs, and the economy of the Netherlands. It comes on top of a tripling of the passenger tax, and a 37% rise in airport charges. We are seeing a throttling of air connectivity which has been steadily built up for 100 years, and supported large parts of the Dutch economy and the aspirations of millions of Dutch travelers” – says Willie Walsh, Director General at IATA.
The government defends the proposal claiming that the cuts next year will reduce noise and deliver a significant reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions.
“Downsizing Schiphol will permanently destroy jobs that are only now recovering. Moreover, without the possibility to grow at Schiphol, businesses in the Netherlands will need to evaluate their future in an economy that will be moving from global gateway to regional center” – believes Walsh.
Schiphol has been recovering fast since the end of pandemic restrictions and has already set a maximum number of travellers per day this summer, capping the number of passengers that can depart from the airport every day as a result of a shortage of security staff. The maximum number of travellers that Schiphol can handle varies per day and goes up to 67,500 on the busiest days in July and up to 72,500 in August.
“We are taking this measure with an unbelievably heavy heart. Everyone at Schiphol and all our partners want nothing more than to welcome all travellers with open arms, especially after the impact coronavirus has had. A lot is possible at Schiphol this summer, but not everything. Setting a limit now means that the large majority of travellers will be able to travel from Schiphol in a safe and responsible way.” – says Dick Benschop, CEO at Schiphol Airport.
The airport has already had over 280,000 movements this year, putting it on track to reach its existing 500,000 movement limit.
Prior to the pandemic, aviation supported more than 300,000 jobs and €22 billion in GDP to the economy of the Netherlands. Key to this economic contribution was the connectivity driven by Schiphol’s global hub airport role. In 2019, Amsterdam was the third-best internationally connected city in Europe, behind only London and Paris.