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A significant legal victory for the Dutch government as they succeed in their efforts to reduce the number of flights at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. This ruling serves as a setback for the airline industry, which had fought against the restrictions aimed at curbing air traffic for environmental reasons.
An appeals court has now overridden a local court’s decision and granted The Hague the authority to decrease the number of flights at the airport from the end of this year until October 2024.
This move represents the most drastic action taken in the European Union to address noise and pollution caused by the aviation sector. Major carriers such as KLM, easyJet, Tui, and Delta contested the government’s plan.
The government’s objective is to reduce flight numbers by 8%, resulting in a total of 460,000 flights per year at one of Europe’s busiest airports.
The case primarily focused on the impact of aviation on the local community, specifically regarding aircraft noise and emissions of nitrogen dioxide.
Senior executives in the aviation industry are increasingly concerned about the broader environmental effects of air travel. They observed the Dutch government’s legislative efforts to restrict flying with apprehension.
Two senior industry executives expressed fear that this ruling in the Netherlands could set a precedent for other European countries to restrict growth in the aviation sector, which has shown strong recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Schiphol, majority-owned by the state, is committed to sacrificing its growth in order to prioritize being “quieter, cleaner, and better.” The airport has taken steps such as engaging with airlines to consider banning night flights and private jets, as well as reversing plans for an additional runway.
As the EU’s third largest airport, Schiphol served 53 million passengers in 2022, connecting 313 destinations. However, the government faces pressure to reduce nitrate emissions and pollution in the densely-populated country.
The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure views this ruling as a crucial step towards finding a new balance between the economic importance of maintaining an internationally well-connected airport and protecting the interests of residents and the environment.
In other parts of Europe, the French government has implemented a partial ban on short-haul domestic flights. However, there are few other instances of attempts to limit the growth of air travel.
Airlines and airports argue that aviation can achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 while continuing to grow. This can be accomplished by shifting to alternative fuels with lower carbon emissions compared to traditional jet fuel.
KLM, the Dutch flag carrier, expressed disappointment with the ruling and emphasized the need to focus on cleaner, quieter, and more fuel-efficient flight operations to reduce noise and carbon emissions instead of imposing capacity caps.
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