Schiphol gets room to expand

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has been given the opportunity to increase the number of flights to 510,000 a year from November 1, up from the 420,000 currently allowed.

The increase is possible because a new system for measuring noise pollution is being introduced following a report on the subject by a commission led by former environment minister Hans Alders, reports Thursday’s Volkskrant.
At the moment, noise pollution is measured at 35 ‘pollution’ points around the airport. Alders wants these scrapped. Instead he suggests looking at how much noise airplanes produce and reducing the nuisance by making more use of two ‘quiet’ runways and sound absorbing tyres.
The move gives Schiphol room to expand the number of flights, Alders main consideration, he admitted to the press. ‘The operational space can be enlarged without making those living around the airport suffer,’ he said.