In the last hour or so, it has been revealed that the Dutch Government has reversed the experimental flight cap at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
This comes as good news for airlines who were at risk of losing slots, such as KLM and JetBlue amongst the list of others.
Without further ado, let’s get into it…
KLM Is Happy About The Reversal…
There was quite the difference in voice between KLM, the main operator out of Amsterdam Schiphol, and the airport themselves.
In a statement released today, KLM said the following on this:
“KLM is satisfied that the Dutch government has decided to suspend the experimental rule for next year. It is an important step to prevent retaliation and to continue flying to the US.”
“In addition, the European Commission has sent a clear signal to go through a careful legal process according to the balanced approach.”
“We have agreed to a number of announced measures, such as the cleaner, quieter and more economical plan, to accelerate the reduction of noise pollution.”
“KLM shares the government’s environmental concerns and is fully committed to reducing its environmental footprint.”
“Air France-KLM has accelerated its long-term, multi-billion euro investment plan in fleet renewal and in the use of sustainable aviation fuel.”
“In the coming months, KLM and Transavia will receive their first Airbus A320neo family aircraft, with a noise footprint reduced by 33% on average.”
“Since the year 2000s, the Group has already reduced its noise emissions by 40%.”
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Expresses Disappointment…
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However, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport said the following on this, expressing disappointment for local residents:
“Today it was announced that the Dutch government is suspending the Experimental Ruling. Schiphol is disappointed by the recent developments, as local residents are getting the short end of the stick.”
“Reducing the number of flights is not a goal in itself for us, but the Experimental Ruling did provide clarity and certainty for local residents.”
“Moreover, according to Schiphol, falling back on ‘anticipatory enforcement’ leads to more uncertainty, including for the aviation sector itself.”
“It is time that hindrance for local residents is noticeably reduced. The importance of a night closure of Schiphol is now becoming even more imminent.”
“This also applies to the other measures in our 8-point plan, such as the ban on private flights and the banning of the noisiest aircraft.”
So What Next?
What comes next is that Amsterdam Schiphol Airport will continue to fight for the rights of local residents, and could explore different avenues within this away from a flight cap.
As for the airlines, for now, Summer 2024 doesn’t seem to be hindered too much by the potential disruption that would have been caused by this flight cap.
U.S carrier JetBlue will be happy that they can operate into the airport again next year, and will be interesting to see what their response is on this.
As soon as we get that statement, we will update the article accordingly.
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