Image: ARTHUR VAN DER KOOIJ (ANP)
The Dutch government wants to significantly reduce flight movements at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Instead of 500,000 a year, there should be a maximum of 452,500 flights in the coming year. The reduction is intended to reduce noise pollution for residents. The government is now waiting for a reaction from the EU Commission before making a final decision. The planned reduction is lower than initially announced. The government had initially promised an upper limit of 440,000 flight movements. Now the noise is to be reduced by 15 percent instead of the initially targeted 20 percent.
But no end for night flights and private jets
Night-time air traffic is also to be restricted. But there should not be a total night-time closure and a ban on private planes for the time being. The major airport had suggested that itself. The airport regretted that not all plans would be implemented. But Schiphol welcomed the reduction in flights: “We fully support the starting point of reducing disabilities for residents.”
The airline KLM criticized the decision. This hurts the Netherlands. “We find that incomprehensible,” the company said. The noise targets could be better achieved with new aircraft that fly “cleaner, quieter and more economical”.
Source: Nachrichten
