Last year, the Dutch government announced plans of limiting the number of international flights in the Netherlands in a move to reduce the country’s carbon emissions, as well as limiting noise pollution in the airports’ proximity. Despite backlash from airlines, authorities are proceeding with the cap.
Last week, officials announced that a cap on the overall number of international flights departing from the Netherlands is necessary for the country to reach its climate goals, the CNN reported. According to the plans, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, one of Europe’s busiest air hubs, has to reduce its capacity from 500,000 flights annually to 460,000 by November 2023 and to just 440,000 by the end of 2024.
“The maximum CO2 emissions set for each airport will apply for several years, so that an exceedance in one year can be compensated in subsequent years,” the Dutch transport ministry clarified in a statement. “The policy will help the country meet its carbon goal. Further details remain to be decided and the government promises that discussions will include all parties.”
Along with violating national, European and international legislation, the decision is unnecessary, damaging and lacks proper substantiation, given the airline industry is already achieving significant results in relation to reducing CO2 emissions and lowering noise levels.
KLM
In response, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) took legal action against the government, calling the decision illegal. “The Netherlands is handicapping its economy by destroying connectivity. And it is doing it in contravention of EU law and its international obligations. The dangerous precedent that this illegal approach creates left no choice but to challenge them in court”, IATA’s Director General said.
Separately, the Air-France KLM Group, together with Corendon, Delta Air Lines, easyJet and TUI, also initiated proceedings against the Dutch government. The airlines maintain that the Dutch government’s unilateral and sudden decision to reduce Schiphol’s capacity from 500,000 to 460,000 flight annual movements (with the ultimate goal of reducing flight movements to 440,000 by 2024) is incomprehensible. “The airlines have already made multi-billion euros investments to meet near- and long-term goals in line with their own decarbonization trajectories as well as government policies, while the government’s justification hinges on operational restrictions with no consideration of alternative workable solutions to effect noise reduction”, KLM said in a statement.
