Schiphol Airport must be quieter – and fast. The cabinet does not want to wait until the KLM airline, by far the largest user of the Amsterdam airport, has completely replaced its fleet with quieter aircraft. That is why a reduction in the number of flights by 12 percent is the only measure left by the cabinet. Ruth Clabbers, director-general of aviation at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, emphasized this on Tuesday during a information meeting for residents living near Schiphol.
Clabbers, the highest civil servant in charge of aviation, suggested that KLM’s fleet renewal is not going fast enough to limit noise pollution. She does not consider the discussion whether it is better to look at quieter aircraft than at the sharp reduction in the number of flights, as KLM wants, to be relevant now. “Schiphol must shrink to 440,000 flight movements per year,” she says. “That decision is not going to change today.”
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On 24 June this year, the cabinet announced that Schiphol must be reduced to 440,000 movements. Now the limit is 500,000 flights per year. The step is unique in Europe; Never before has an airport had to downsize because of noise.
Moreover, the nuisance caused by Schiphol was tolerated for far too long, stated Minister Mark Harbers (Infrastructure and Water Management, VVD) at the time. That was no longer tenable, especially legally. A lawsuit is currently pending Aalsmeer residents association because of the negative effects of too much aircraft noise on health.
It was previously announced that the number of night flights at Amsterdam airport must be reduced from 32,000 to 29,000 flights per year.
According to KLM, which, together with partner airlines such as Air France and Delta Air Lines, operates an estimated 70 percent of the number of flights at Schiphol, the announced shrinkage disastrous for the benefits of society. At least 500,000 flights per year would be necessary at Schiphol if KLM wants to maintain healthy business operations. The airline previously stated that in 2030 it will have a fleet that will be more than 50 percent quieter than in 2018.
balanced approach
The ministry therefore does not want to wait for that, as became clear during the presentation in a hotel in Schiphol-East. The government will use the coming months to convince the European Commission that a reduction in the number of flight movements is the only measure to significantly limit noise nuisance. This is mandatory according to what is called a ‘balanced approach’ in the European Union. Only after extensive consultations with the airport concerned, the airlines and air traffic control and after discussions with the European Commission, will the contraction become a fact. After five years, the cabinet wants to switch to a new standard for Schiphol, based, among other things, on noise and emissions.
The maximum number of flights must ultimately be laid down in a so-called Airport Traffic Order (LVB) for Schiphol. For this, the airport needs, among other things, a nature permit from the Ministry of Agriculture. Schiphol is now working on that. But the airport will only receive this nature permit if it manages to limit its nitrogen emissions from Natura 2000 areas in the area.
It is unknown whether Schiphol is currently actively trying to buy out farms around the airport in order to obtain so-called ‘nitrogen space’. In the House of Representatives, Minister Christianne van der Wal (Nature and Nitrogen, VVD) denied a message in the media that the government would try to buy up nitrogen space on behalf of Schiphol. “Schiphol itself must take measures if necessary to acquire nitrogen capacity.”