News item | 21-02-2025 | 16:00
On Friday, February 21, the cabinet presented the sketch design for the new layout of Dutch airspace.
By re-dividing the airspace, there is more room for defense to practice with the F-35, and the civil aviation can be flown shorter in certain places. The new layout of the airspace is about where aircraft fly at high altitudes, at least 1800 meters. The implementation must take place between 2028 and 2030.
The new layout of the airspace also lays the foundation to reduce the sound of civil aviation on the ground in the future. That is good news for local residents. A 4th approaching point to Schiphol, which was the case at an earlier stage, is not coming.
Defense
Defense needs a larger training area to be able to train well with the F-35, the newest generation of combat aircraft. This reinforces the combat power and deterrence of the armed forces and ensures that the armed forces is set.
Defense currently has 3 training areas: in the north, south and east of the country. The area in the north is being expanded, creating more suitable rehearsal room for the F-35. The average flight height of an exercise is around 6 kilometers and more than 80% of the exercises take place above the sea. The areas in the south and east are too small for this and are canceled for daily use.
The new layout of the airspace also makes it possible to work with our neighboring countries in large NATO exercises. The urgency of this has been further increased by the changed geopolitical circumstances and the deteriorated safety situation.
Civil aviation
Because 2 training areas disappear, civil aviation no longer has to fly around it, which leads to shorter routes.
During the process, it was checked whether a 4th approaching point could come to Schiphol. That would mean that aircraft can fly shorter routes, so they also emit less. In the end it turned out that a 4th approach point did not combine with the international connections in the airspace.
This sketch design is a 1st step. There will be an external committee that will assess the usefulness and necessity of the design and the process followed. This committee was an explicit wish of the House of Representatives. In the end, the parliament will also consider the new classification next year. Then decision -making will take place.
Less noise and emissions
The new layout lays the foundation for airports to approach airports higher in the future, and to continue to fall continuously. In practice, this means that an aircraft follows a fixed route for the last piece before landing, flies longer at a larger height, and due to a gradual decrease less the engine. This leads to less noise on the ground, and fewer emissions of harmful substances.
In 2025 the learning trajectory starts higher, on 1 job at Schiphol. Stakeholders and local residents are closely involved in the elaboration and evaluation of this. From 2026 the participation processes around Rotterdam The Hague Airport And for the other jobs at Schiphol.