Schiphol Airport To Put A Limitation On Flights From 2025 Onwards, In A Bid To Reduce Noise Pollution

Air pollution has become a major issue in today’s world. By limiting the number of flights at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, the Dutch government hopes to lessen noise pollution.

Dutch Government’s Initiative To Limit Flights At Schiphol Airport

The airport’s current flying limit of 500,000 will be lowered by 4.4% to 478,000 starting in 2025. By adopting more modern, quieter aircraft, this action seeks to improve the quality of life for those who live close to the airport and reduce noise pollution by 15%.

Some are not pleased with this move, as the Dutch airline KLM is against it, pointing to its continuing €7 billion (more than ₹65 crore) investment in quieter aircraft. The airline argues that flight restrictions would allow foreign rivals to purchase lucrative Schiphol flight slots, which could result in punitive steps against KLM.

Awaiting the European Commission’s advice, KLM said the air movement decrease is not a stand-alone solution and is anticipated to be legally unsustainable, as reported by News Track Live.

Although the Dutch government’s 4.4% flight capacity reduction is a noteworthy move, it falls short of previous plans that called for a 20% flight capacity reduction, a night flying halt, and the closure of one runway to address noise pollution issues. Nevertheless, the government has decided on a new, more moderate strategy.

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People For Or Against This Decision To Reduce Noise Pollution

In conflict with competing interests is Amsterdam’s 20% ownership of the airport. In 2024, a Dutch court acknowledged that public complaints had been disregarded for too long and called on the government to act more forcefully on noise pollution.

Measures to reduce flights are opposed by the European Union and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which claim they go against the widely accepted “Balanced Approach” to airport operations. This approach aims to minimise the effects of noise on nearby populations while preserving air connection.

By raising the cost of operating the noisiest aircraft and incentivising airlines to employ quieter ones, the airport’s operator, Royal Schiphol Group, has proposed airport fees for 2025–2027 in an effort to minimise noise.

This will have a big effect on the kinds of aircraft that airlines choose to fly, especially those that don’t have an Amsterdam base, the group thinks. The group is eager to talk about the matter further with the ministry, though it has observed a divergence in opinions with the Dutch government about these suggested steps.

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The Dutch government’s strategy to strike a compromise between noise concerns and Schiphol’s flying capacity is being evaluated by the European Commission.

Cover Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons