Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL) will open a new approach route to Schiphol’s Polderbaan runway tonight. According to traffic control, this will reduce aircraft nuisance for residents of Uitgeest, Castricum, Heemskerk and Beverwijk.
For the new night route to the Polderbaan, approaching aircraft will from now on make more turns in order to spare as many residential areas as possible. The aircraft descend evenly and use less engine power.
That sounds simpler than it is in reality: technical adjustments were required at LVNL for the approach route. Moreover, the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management had to give his approval.
The new route used from tonight (the article continues below the map).
In May 2020, LVNL already introduced a fixed night approach to the Zwanenburgbaan (the orange stripe on the right in the image), which involves flying around Krommenie and Assendelft in a bend. This should reduce aircraft noise for residents in Zaanstad.
Together with residents
The boss of Air Traffic Control the Netherlands, Michiel van Dorst, is happy with the new approach route: “It is good news for residents in North Holland that we are today taking this nuisance-limiting measure into operational use.”
“Thanks to intensive collaboration with residents and administrators in the vicinity of Schiphol, the Schiphol Environment Council and airlines that make an extra effort to apply innovations, we can reduce noise pollution from air traffic,” says Van Dorst.
LVNL explains the new night approach in this video: