PRESS CONTACTS: Hannah Lawrence, (+43) 0670 550 09 34, press@stay-grounded.org
- The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W) has announced a series of measures to reduce noise pollution around Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
- These include a lesser allowance for flights at night, an increase in charges at Schiphol for noisy aircraft, and a cap on the total number of flights.
- However, the maximum number of flights outlined in the announcement is higher than the cap originally announced by the Transport Minister in 2022.
Campaigners welcome the decision by the new minister to still put a cap on flights at Schiphol Airport but warn it doesn’t go far enough.
The decision by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W) to cap flights within a range of 475,000 to 485,000 is significantly higher than its earlier announcement to cap flights at 440.000 per year. Also, it is close to the peak of around 495.000 flights in 2019.
Hannah Lawrence, spokesperson for the Stay Grounded network said: “For the health of local residents and the climate, we urgently need a cap on flights at Schiphol. While we welcome the latest announcement over a flight cap at Schiphol it offers nowhere near the level of reduction that is actually needed for the sake of the climate and people’s health. In the midst of a climate crisis we need robust measures to fairly and rapidly reduce air traffic.”
Since 2015, Schiphol Airport has been officially exceeding legal noise limits, without enforcement from regulators. In 2022, the Dutch Transport Minister announced that the maximum number of flights would go from 500.000 to 460.000 by late 2023 and down to 440.000 a year later.
The latest measures have now been submitted to the European Commission and will follow the Balanced Approach procedure, which the EU stipulates member states must use if they want to reduce noise at airports.
It would be the first time a large airport proposes to reduce its timeslots, possibly setting a precedent for other airports. A proposal to put a CO2-ceiling on Dutch airports is also awaiting EU judgment.
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
- Stay Grounded is a network for 207 member initiatives around the world, including community groups surrounding airports, NGOs, and trade unions. The network campaigns for a fair reduction of aviation and for a just mobility system that works for all, now and in the future.
- Read the full announcement here.