Haarlemmermeer is planning to remove some 5,000 panels from a solar farm next to Schiphol airport because reflections are causing problems for pilots.

The airport authority said earlier this month that one of its most used runways is to close on sunny days between 10 am and midday for three weeks because of the bright reflections from the massive solar farm.

Now council officials say they will take away around half the panels while working on a permanent solution for the problem, after it became clear more needed to be done.

Officials decided to shut down the Polderbaan runway in the morning in order to guarantee the safety of air travel after receiving dozens of notifications about visibility problems caused by the glare from the panels’ glass.

The solar farm, the Groene Energie Corridor, follows the A9 motorway between Rottepolderplein and the village of Zwanenburg and covers some 100 hectares. Work began last summer and was due to be completed in April. The farm is expected to produce enough energy for 40,000 households.