The Dutch government has backtracked on plans to reduce the number of flights at Schiphol Airport following objections from the United States and the European Union.
In August, the government announced plans to reduce the number of flights at the airport from 500,000 a year to 452,500 from winter 2024 as part of an “experimental scheme” to reduce noise pollution at the Dutch hub.
It also reduced the number of night flights at the airport from 32,000 to 28,700 per year and required the use of quieter aircraft at night. The goal was to reduce noise pollution by 15 percent.
However, the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Mark Harbers, said this week that the government had decided to back down after objections from the US and the European Commission.
The Commission and the US said the plan did not follow the “balanced approach” process, which requires states to identify different measures that can reduce noise pollution, consult all interested parties, and allow a reduction in the number of flights only if it is clear that other measures to limit noise pollution are insufficient.
In early November, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued an order stating that it considered the planned reduction without following the Balanced Approach procedure to be in violation of EU rules and the 2007 U.S.-EU Air Transport Agreement.
“In the eyes of the US, the capacity reduction would be unfair, discriminatory and anti-competitive for airlines,” Harbers wrote in a letter.
The US was expected to take countermeasures that would have restricted Dutch airlines’ access to the US.
The European Commission had also written to the Dutch government about the failure to follow the balanced approach.
“This letter states that the European Commission expressly reserves the right to start infringement proceedings against the Netherlands in the next round of infringements for what it considers to be non-compliance with European rules,” Harbers said.
Harbers said that the government will suspend the flight cuts until the Supreme Court rules in cassation, which is not expected until the second quarter of next year.
He added that the government would also continue to explore the possibility of achieving flight cuts through the Balanced Approach procedure.
Airlines and industry associations had also launched a cassation procedure against the Amsterdam Court of Appeal, which in July overturned a decision to block the flight cuts.
KLM welcomed the news and said it would pursue other options to reduce the noise impact of its operations.
“KLM is pleased that the Dutch government has decided to suspend the experimental rule for next year,” the Dutch airline said.
“This is an important step to prevent retaliation and to continue flying to the US. In addition, the European Commission has sent a clear signal to go through a careful legal process according to the balanced approach.”
The airline said it has accelerated its long-term, multibillion-dollar investment plan in fleet renewal and the use of sustainable aviation fuel, and said it has already reduced its noise emissions by 40 percent since the 2000s.
Airlines for America said: “Today’s announcement that the Dutch government will suspend its plan to reduce flights in and out of Schiphol Airport for the 2024 summer season is welcome news.
“We are grateful to the U.S. government, particularly the Department of Transportation, for listening to the airline industry’s concerns and issuing a very strong order outlining the violations of the U.S.-EU Air Transport Agreement.
“This order and the subsequent government-to-government discussions with the Dutch and EU this week were instrumental in convincing the Dutch government to reach this successful outcome.”
Schiphol Airport, however, said it was disappointed by the latest developments, which it said left residents without clarity or certainty.
“The importance of a night closure of Schiphol is now even more imminent,” the airport said. “This also applies to the other measures in our eight-point plan, such as the ban on private flights and the ban on the noisiest aircraft.”
