Airlines to file lawsuit against Dutch government over Schiphol airport cuts

Photo: Benjamin van Waart/Flickr

The Dutch government faces legal challenges to its decision to reduce the number of flights at Schiphol due to noise and pollution from both international aviation body IATA and a group made up of KLM and other airlines. doing.

KLM, Delta Air Lines, Corendon, easyJet and tour operator TUI said on Friday they joined forces to bring the Dutch government to court in a challenge to a decision to cut flight movements at Schiphol Airport to 460,000 per year. Announced.

IATA said Friday it was taking legal action against the Dutch government, arguing that a “political decision” to cut flights violates EU regulations and the Chicago Convention on Aviation. Aviation.

The airline says it is confident it will reduce noise levels and CO2 emissions.₂ While maintaining a network of destinations for the millions of passengers and tons of cargo carried to and from Schiphol each year.”

The government’s “unilateral and sudden decision” to cut annual trips at Schiphol from 500,000 to 460,000 trips was “incomprehensible,” the airline said, refusing to set its own and the government’s decarbonization goals. It claimed to have already invested billions of euros to achieve it.

Furthermore, they say the government has failed to come up with alternative viable solutions to allow for noise reduction.

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“The proposed measures will negatively limit the options for Dutch travelers,” said Arjan Kers, TUI’s general manager for the Netherlands. “This measure goes against[European]regulations and government policies that have been in place for years and have been and are being taken by airlines to reduce noise and emissions. It doesn’t reward hard work.”

The initiative was initiated by the KLM Group, which accounts for nearly 60% of Schiphol Airport’s traffic, and is supported by industry association BARIN and the European Aviation Association, who say the reduction in capacity will have significant ramifications.

In parallel, IATA announced its own legal challenge on Friday, saying no “meaningful” consultations had been held with the affected organizations and that the reduction in flights would be a first, not a last resort. claimed to be used as a tool.

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Director General Willy Walsh said, “The Dutch government’s hostile approach to the job-destroying aviation industry is a completely disproportionate response to noise management.” Instead of refusing even and working with industry to meet noise and emissions reduction targets, we made it our goal to reduce flights.”

airport authorities said last week Cap of 460,000 aircraft movements at Schiphol should be seen as a ‘necessary intermediate step’ and new growth cannot be excluded.

The airport, which is 100% owned by state and local governments, said it would accept government-imposed restrictions for this year and next, but could not rule out expansion after that.