Schiphol airport has been told to recalculate the noise and air pollution cuts which it hopes new take off and landing routes will generate, after an official report said they did not add up.

Junior infrastructure minister Sharon Dijksma commissioned an independent government committee to look again at the figures which Schiphol had produced. It hoped that the reduction in noise and pollution would allow it to expand further.

However, the MER committee said the new routes do not reduce fuel usage or cut noise levels as much as the airport anticipates.

Once the new routes have been reassessed, Dijksma will decide whether or not to increase the airport’s current take off and landing limits.