Netherlands suspends planned slot cuts at Schiphol

The Dutch government has postponed plans to initiate slot cuts next summer at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol following international pressure. [caption id="attachment_57138941" align="alignright" width="300"] KLM aircraft at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Photo/Bloomberg)[/caption] Infrastructure and Water Management Minister Mark Harbers sent a letter today informing the Dutch House of Representatives that the government is no longer going to enforce the heavily criticized slot cuts at the airport (AMS) — at least not next summer. The Dutch government had proposed capping AMS at 452,500 flights annually to reduce noise and carbon dioxide pollution. The current limit is 500,000 flights annually. The slot cuts would have reduced carrier operations at the airport and cut out some carriers, like JetBlue , completely. Airlines including KLM and Delta Air Lines , along with IATA , sued the Dutch government to prevent the slot cuts. An appeals court threw out the suit on July 7, but that decision has been appealed to the cassation court. Harbers wrote in the letter, a copy of which was provided to Air Cargo Next , that the Netherlands will wait to implement the slot cuts until after the cassation appeal judgment, which is not expected until after April 1, 2024, when the cuts would have gone into effect. Part of this decision stemmed from a letter received Monday from European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean that conveyed concerns about the plan and stated that the European Commission would reserve the right to initiate infringement procedures against the Netherlands due to perceived non-compliance with European regulations. Harbers noted in his letter that, as European law will be considered in the cassation appeal, he and his office are opting to wait for a final ruling before implementing the cuts. International outcry The reprieve was welcomed by carriers that would have been affected. “KLM is satisfied that the Dutch government has decided to suspend the experimental rule for next year,” KLM Press Officer Thierry van Es told Air Cargo Next . “It is an important step to prevent retaliation and to continue flying to the U.S. In addition, the European Commission has sent a clear signal to go through a careful legal process according to the Balanced Approach.” The Balanced Approach is a procedure that requires European Union members to, among other things, consult stakeholders when considering sound-related restrictions on an airport that operates more than 50,000 flights annually. The retaliation he referenced relates to JetBlue requesting that U.S. authorities bar KLM from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York should the slot cuts go into effect. Under the proposed cuts, JetBlue would lose all access to AMS, as the carrier only began flying there in August. While JetBlue executives are pleased with today’s decision, they said they will continue to advocate for a long-term resolution that will protect all carriers’ status at AMS. “We thank the U.S. government for their commitment to upholding the principles of the Open Skies Agreement to ensure that JetBlue is granted continued access at Amsterdam’s only viable airport,” a JetBlue spokesperson told Air Cargo Next . “We now urge the Dutch government and all relevant stakeholders to ensure we have access for next summer.” IATA was also pleased with today’s announcement. “We welcome this outbreak of common sense from the Dutch government,” IATA Director General Willie Walsh said in a statement. “We have always maintained that the Balanced Approach offers plenty of opportunity to manage noise issues at Schiphol without cutting capacity. Maintaining Schiphol’s capacity is good news for jobs, the economy, traveler choice and convenience, and better trade relations.” Committed to reducing pollution Not all stakeholders were pleased with today’s decision, however. AMS put out a statement saying that Amsterdam 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,” AMS stated. “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 airport reaffirmed its goal to ban nighttime and private flights , as well as the noisiest aircraft, which tend to be freighters. Carriers are not opposed to efforts to reduce noise and CO2, but felt slot cuts were not the answer. “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’s van Es said. At the request of the Dutch government, KLM has agreed to remove its noisiest planes from nighttime flights, according to Harbers’ letter. Harbers also reaffirmed the Dutch government’s commitment to reducing noise and CO2 pollution from AMS and still plans to pursue the flight cuts pending the outcome of the cassation appeal. Join Air Cargo Next for the upcoming webinar, “The future of AI in air cargo,” on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 11 a.m. ET. More information about the webinar and registration is available here .

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