KLM has urged the Dutch government to reconsider plans that would impose a flight cap on operations at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, as the Dutch government continues to tackle noise pollution.
The Dutch flag carrier has offered its support to the government's wish to achieve a better balance between the interests of local residents and the economic importance of Schiphol and aviation, endorsing the government's goal of achieving a 20% reduction in noise pollution.
However, in an open letter to the Dutch minister of infrastructure and water management, Barry Madlener, KLM’s president and chief executive officer Marjan Rintel outlined the proposed risk of implementing an operational cap at the airline’s hub.
The government in the Netherlands is expected to introduce a revised flight cap for Schiphol Airport, following on from earlier indications in September that officials are wanting to propose a limit of 475,000 to 485,000 flights annually to and from Schiphol, a reduction from the current cap of 500,000.
Rintel noted that by applying higher tariffs for older, noisier aircraft it would encourage airlines to invest in newer, quieter models and would act as a better deterrent to noise pollution in comparison to exercising a cap on aircraft operations.
KLM is investing €7 billion ($7.4 billion) in fleet renewal in the coming years, with Rintel adding that the new aircraft are “barely considered “under the government proposals, and the noise reduction that can be achieved with them is “almost entirely ignored.”
She also warned of the potential risk of retaliation from countries such as the US, if their carriers lose slots at the airport, meaning KLM would lose landing rights in those countries.
The Dutch government in May submitted proposals to reduce the number of night flights at Schiphol Airport, with the desire to ban the loudest night flights by 2025 to reduce noise pollution.