DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

23 May 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Airlines plan legal action against Dutch government over Schiphol cuts

March 3, 2023
Photo: Benjamin van Waart/Flickr
Photo: Benjamin van Waart/Flickr

The Dutch government is facing legal challenges to its decision to reduce the number of flights at Schiphol airport because of noise and pollution from both international aviation organisation IATA and a group comprising KLM and other airlines.

KLM, Delta Air Lines, Corendon, easyJet and tour operator TUI said on Friday they have joined forces to take the Dutch government to court in a challenge to the decision to cut flight movements at Schiphol airport to 460,000 a year.

IATA also said on Friday it is taking legal action against the Dutch government, arguing the ‘political decision’ to cut flights contravenes EU regulations and the Chicago Convention on aviation, which sets out the steps signatories are required to follow to manage the noise impact of aviation.

The airlines say they are confident they can reduce noise levels and CO2 emissions ‘while maintaining a network of destinations for the millions of passengers and tonnes of cargo they carry annually to and from Schiphol’.

The government’s ‘unilateral and sudden decision’, to reduce Schiphol’s capacity from 500,000 to 460,000 flight annual movements is ‘incomprehensible’, the airlines said, arguing they have already made multi-billion euro investments to meet their own and government decarbonisation targets.

In addition, they say, the government has failed to take any alternative workable solutions to bring about noise reduction into account.

Options

‘The proposed measures will negatively limit Dutch travellers’ options,’ said Arjan Kers, TUI’s general manager in the Netherlands. ‘The measures are contrary to (European) regulations and government policies that have been in place for years and do not reward the efforts that have been and are being made by airlines to reduce noise and emissions.’

The initiative was launched by the KLM group, which accounts for close to 60% of traffic at Schiphol, supported by industry association BARIN and European aviation bodies, which say the capacity reduction will have major knock-on effects.

In a parallel move, IATA announced its own legal challenge on Friday, arguing there has been no ‘meaningful’ consultation with the organisations which will be affected and that flight reductions are being used as a first, not last resort.

Jobs

‘The job-destroying hostile approach to aviation that the Dutch government has chosen is a totally disproportionate response to managing noise,’ director general Willie Walsh said. ‘The government has even refused to engage in meaningful consultations and made flight reductions the goal, rather than working with industry to meet noise and emissions reduction goals.’

The airport authority said last week that the 460,000 cap on the number of aircraft movements at Schiphol airport should be seen as a ‘necessary intermediary stage’ and new growth cannot be ruled out.

The airport, which is 100% owned by the state and local authorities, said it will accept the government-imposed limit this year and the next, but that it cannot rule out an expansion after that.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Economy
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
AEX falls as Trump threatens 50% import tariff on European goods
Dutch forensic experts develop deepfake video detector
Zaanstad says yes to tourist tickets for Zaanse Schans windmills
Fewer international child abductions by parents last year
Weekend brings showers and cooler weather, sun still possible
NewsHomeEconomyArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days!

We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here.

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now