Schiphol: Quality over quantity amid slot reduction plans

MIAMI — Carriers will soon be transporting less cargo through Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as the airport and Dutch government look to reduce freighter traffic. Olaf van Reeden , director of cargo partnerships at Schiphol (AMS), told Air Cargo Next at the CNS Partnership Conference in Miami this week that the airport will focus on “quality instead of quantity.” [caption id="attachment_57136512" align="alignright" width="300"] Olaf van Reeden, Director of Cargo Partnerships, Schiphol Airport[/caption] The Dutch government announced in February that it will reduce the airport’s cap of 500,000 flights annually to 460,000 in November 2023 and to 440,000 in November 2024 as part of a plan to reduce noise and CO2 emissions. The North Holland District Court on April 5 upheld a legal challenge brought against the Dutch government by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Delta and several other airlines, ruling that the government had violated the European Union’s balanced approach procedure with its proposed cuts. Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Mark Harbers indicated plans to appeal the decision. In its move to reduce noise and CO2 emissions, AMS announced plans in April to end late-night flights and ban private jets. Under the plan, which will go into effect in the next two to three years, according to the airport, planes will not be permitted to take off between midnight and 6 a.m. and will not be allowed to land between midnight and 5 a.m. Schiphol wants to keep 2.5% of the takeoff and landing slots available for freighters; down from about 3% now, according to van Reeden. Airport looks to be a good neighbor AMS hopes its plan will have the desired effect, thereby preventing the Dutch government from cutting slots. “We made an improvement plan ourselves because we didn’t want a flat diminishing of the amount of slots, and we want to have it focused on certain points,” van Reeden said. “So, Schiphol presented the plan ourselves because we want an ambitious plan which will take responsibility for environmental issues.” The restrictions proposed by the government and the airport are intended to improve quality of life for residents living near AMS. “Schiphol has grown tremendously in the last decades,” van Reeden said. “Of course, like in every airport in a densely populated area, there’s issues. So, we said, ‘OK, if we have to cut down noise, then we should do it in the right way.’” Sustainable solutions AMS is working on other sustainable solutions, as well, such as electrifying airport vehicles and a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) subsidy for carriers. “Last year was the was the first year we did that,” van Reeden said. “And it was immediately a very high number of airlines who wanted to use it.” Only about 1% of fuel used at AMS is SAF, according to van Reeden, largely because it is not readily available . AMS is also looking into banning older planes, which are often noisier and less sustainable. Van Reeden conceded that most “older, noisier planes” are freighters. Nevertheless, this process must happen and is already in the works, he said. “A lot of companies are working on the sustainability topics themselves,” he said. “So, phasing out older aircraft, because of sustainability, but also for efficiency reasons, is already on its way. And a lot of our customers, they explained, 'OK, we might not be happy, it might be complex for our fleet, because we have more older 747s than we have new aircraft. So, it’s going to be a bit more tricky, but we will manage.’” Even with reduced slots at AMS, van Reeden said he is confident cargo operations will remain robust. “Of course, it will have an impact on the total amount of cargo. But then again, we feel positive, because it’s going to be about quality instead of quantity,” van Reeden said, adding that AMS “is an important cargo hub and will remain an important cargo hub.” Join Air Cargo Next for the upcoming webinar , “What’s new in digital cargo systems,” on Tuesday, June 13, at 11 a.m. ET. F or more information on the webinar and to register, click here.

Schiphol: Quality over quantity amid slot reduction plans

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