Why exactly that major maintenance had to be done now, in that summer? “If we were to plan this work in the winter, it will take two to six weeks longer. In addition, it is a special job, which is also used especially with a big west wind. And that is less in the summer,” Hahn explains.
It is not for nothing that the Buitenveldertbaan is often called the Stormbaan. As aircraft races on other lanes on other jobs, pilots experience too strong side wind. In extreme cases, even the Buitenveldertbaan is used, Like at Storm Conall last fall.
Hahn presses that the extra nuisance is really temporary. “We are ready at the end of September and then air traffic is again according to normal patterns. It also means when we have finished this work, that we will be ready for the next 9 years.”
NATO top
During the NATO summit in the week from 21 to 27 June, the number of flights at Schiphol will be temporarily reduced. Then the Polderbaan will be used as a parking space for government equipment. And two jobs from the running, even Schiphol cannot handle that.
Passengers have already been informed and victims were rewarded as much as possible on flights in the weeks before or after.