Aviation sector needs tougher limits on noise, nuisance and pollution

The Dutch aviation sector should be subject to the same stringent regulations about its impact on the environment as other business sectors, a leading government advisory body said in a new report on Thursday.

The Council for the Environment and Infrastructure said that Schiphol airport and airlines are an exception within government mobility strategy – with the only real limit being on the number of aircraft movements.

This, the government argues, is because of the crucial importance of aviation to the Dutch economy.

However, the council says in a new report, there should be clear limits in terms of noise, other nuisance, pollutants and safety. In addition, these limits should be tightened up at regular intervals to stimulate airlines to further reduce their environmental impact.

One way of achieving this, the council said, would be to allow Schiphol to charge lower landing fees for cleaner aircraft.

In addition, airline tickets should be made more expensive because the plethora of cheap flights stop people using alternative forms of transport such as the train.

There should also be lower limits on the number of night flights, which, the council said, damage the health of people living close to airports.