The fifteen municipalities that signed the letter are all located in the vicinity of Schiphol. Amsterdam, Haarlem and Leiden in South Holland have also joined the call for a night closure. “This is desperately needed, because a night closure ensures less stress, a better night’s sleep and less health damage to local residents,” said Amsterdam aviation councilor Hester van Buren.
As far as Schiphol is concerned, the discussion about a possible night closure has long since been closed. “The government has decided, partly on the basis of European rules, not to introduce a night closure. If The Hague wants to reintroduce a night closure, a Balanced Approach procedure in Brussels will once again be required.” The European Commission in Brussels was previously extremely critical of attempts to reduce the number of flights at Schiphol.
Schiphol fears ‘long-term uncertainty’
According to Schiphol, a night closure would not reduce the health complaints of local residents, but rather create a lot of uncertainty. “Restarting this discussion will lead to long-term uncertainty and is therefore undesirable and risky.”
Not all municipalities near Schiphol have signed the letter. The municipality of Haarlemmermeer says it is in favor of a night closure, but ‘at the same time we choose not to make a statement about the exact times of a night closure’. They first want to know what effect such a closure would have on the crowds during the day. The same applies to the municipality of Amstelveen.