A court hearing in the Netherlands last week dealt with the question of how many flights may take place in Amsterdam in future. Currently, 500,000 takeoffs and departures are permitted per year. However, Transport Minister Barry Madlener and the government in The Hague favor cutting 22,000 slots. Besides passenger traffic, cargo flights would be severely affected by the step as well. Should the governmental scheme become law, this would lower noise emissions and benefit local residents, representatives emphasized during the hearing.
Both sides were asked by the court to present their differing positions to the controversial slot reduction scheme tabled by the Dutch government weeks ago. At the end, the judges showed a tendency in favor of The Hague’s opinion. On 28APR the court will announce its final decision on this matter.
Less air traffic lowers the Netherlands’ attractivity
If the impression gained by participants at the hearing is not misleading, KLM, in combination with its low-cost subsidiary Transavia, will probably have to do without 6,000 slots. There will also be considerable cuts in cargo flights, which Madlener wants to reduce by 5,000 per year. However, some of these slots are currently not used since carriers have shifted some of their AMS traffic to other airports. It was particularly interesting that KLM’s planned fleet modernization, which will lead to a considerable reduction in noise for the residents of Schiphol, was largely brushed aside by the judges. It involves 61 of the latest generation aircraft, which will be based in Schiphol and whose noise emissions are significantly lower than those of current generations. At the hearing, the government conceded that only 15 of these 61 new aircraft were included in the calculations for the future slot regime. Observers see the Dutch government’s ignoring of EU provisions as an affront to Brussels.
KLM demands a balanced approach
“We expect the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management to take the European Commission’s decision to heart and follow the recommendations before implementing capacity restrictions. This way, the sector retains a future perspective while maintaining a balance with the environment, keeping the Netherlands connected to the rest of the world,” argues KLM.
Slot decision could trigger broader consequences
Provided the judges support the Dutch government’s view in their final slot decision on 28APR25, repercussions by the U.S. administrationand judiciary are expected to follow immediately. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, FedEx, Jetblue, United Airlines and the integrators FedEx and UPS are also affected by the proposed slot cuts. The U.S. airlines’ argument: the slot reduction is an arbitrary interference in free air traffic between the two traffic regions, as contractually agreed between Washington and Brussels.
Due to its dense route network the dense route network, the Netherlands is one of the best-connected countries in the world. “This is crucial as our economy relies on international trade,” argues KLM. National measures have a direct impact on the position of the airline and the Netherlands, especially now that surrounding countries in Europe are discussing the expansion of their airports. “What is dismantled now cannot be regained,” reasons the airline.
KLM was founded on 07OCT1919. This makes it the oldest commercial airline in the world that is still flying today.
