The formation of a new Dutch government has prompted the logistics stakeholders to renew their efforts to safeguard the position of the air cargo industry. The official coalition agreement does not seem to respond to their wishes, but some positive signs cannot be ignored.
During the formation period the Dutch Express Association (DEA), the freight forwarders’ organization FENEX, the shippers’ forum evofenedex and Air Cargo Netherlands (ACN) had sent an urgent appeal to the mediator as well as the negotiating parties in The Hague.
They pointed out that air cargo is an indispensable part of Schiphol’s mainport role, crucial for the investment climate of the Netherlands and strengthening the strategic autonomy of the country.
Reassurance of available night capacity
The appeal consists of four elements. Firstly, the embedment of air cargo in the national aviation policy, by explicitly including air cargo as a strategic pillar in both the coalition agreement and the executive agenda.
Secondly, the protection and prioritization of cargo slots and cargo flights at Schiphol so that they will not be displaced by passenger flights. This can be achieved through active prioritization as soon as capacity becomes available, completely in line with motions previously agreed by the Dutch Second Chamber.
The stakeholders also ask for the reassurance of the ‘edges of day and night’ capacity for time critical logistics.” Night and early morning flights are imperative for express carriers and other time critical logistic processes,” they claim.
The fourth element is to strategically deploy Maastricht Airport as a complementary cargo airport.
Politically inspired night ban
As it is, just half a page of the 67-page coalition agreement between VVD (liberals), D66 (left liberals) and CDA (Christian Democrats) deals with aviation. Neither ‘cargo’ nor ‘Maastricht Airport’ are mentioned.
According to ACN’s General Manager Maarten van As, aviation was brought into the coalition talks quite late, even if it stands high on the political agenda. The document mentions the long-desired opening of Lelystad Airport, to be used mainly as an air force base, with partial use for civil aviation. “This was a long-standing wish of VVD,” explains ACN official van As.
For Schiphol the new (minority) government proposes a cap of 478,000 movements per year. In order to reduce noise pollution for the surrounding area a new Balanced Approach procedure will be initiated, insisting that the airport become quieter by 50% between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., including a night closure between midnight and 5 a.m.
“A long-standing wish of D66,” Maarten van As points out. This is the part of the coalition agreement he is a bit suspicious about. “If you follow a Balanced Approach process you could state that you want to reduce noise, but then a night closure is a last resort, when you can demonstrate that you have studied all other options”.
He went on to say: “In this case it is a very political sentence, and it is in fact impossible. With the pricing structure of the airport (taking noise production into account, ms) and the ongoing fleet renovation a night closure should not be necessary by 2030. Noise reduction can be achieved in a totally different way.”
New Infrastructure minister brings hope
ACN and the other stakeholders involved will pursue their efforts to be heard, by giving input for the first meeting of the new Aviation Committee this April. Maarten van As also refers to the ‘Letter to the House of Representatives on Industrial Policy’, sent by the outgoing Minister for Economy Vincent Karremans last October.
The letter sums up the challenges for the Dutch economy in the years to come. Interesting is the passage “A robust logistics infrastructure and well-functioning supply chains are also indispensable for a well-functioning economy. Without reliable export corridors, multimodal accessibility and supply-chain cooperation, economic development will stall. Logistics forms a foundation on which economic potential and economic resilience rest – from supply security to strategic autonomy.”
In the new government Karremans will be responsible for Infrastructure and Water Management and as such for airport policy. His move to his new responsibilities is applauded by the logistics industry. “Vincent Karremans was one of the better performing members in the former cabinet and has left a positive feeling with the public,” reasons van As.
Support from the industry
Apart from this, Peter Wennink, former CEO of outperforming chip producing machine maker ASLM, has published a report spear pointing different domains in which the Dutch government is to invest to bring the Dutch economy to the next level.
According to Maarten van As, this report is also supportive of the aims of the logistic stakeholders as Mr Wennink writes: “Strengthening the position of the mainports of Rotterdam and Schiphol is imperative for this project to succeed.”
Agreeing that the airport is under a lot of social pressure he advocates a transition to sustainable aviation. At the same time, Wennink warns that “if the airport is to shrink further, Schiphol will lose its position as an international hub and the Netherlands will lose its attraction to the international business on which we rely as a small open economy”.
