Irony of ironies, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is angry that flights will not be cut next summer after the Dutch government abandoned its controversial plans to reduce flights.
Dutch Government Has Change OF Heart – No Flights Cuts At Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (Yet)
The Dutch cabinet recently announced plans to massively reduce flights at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) next summer in a bid to reduce carbon emissions.
Established carriers stood to gain while more recent entrants to the market, like JetBlue, stood to lose the ability to serve AMS completely. While KLM bitterly protested the flight cap, as a “historical carrier” it stood to gain from these measures via reduced competition.
After the US threatened retaliatory action and the European Commission expressed doubts over the lawfulness of the flight caps, the plan was scrapped.
Interim Infrastructure Minister Mark Harbers wrote:
“As previously reported, Canada and the United States have expressed concerns about the capacity reduction at Schiphol. We have also received signals of concern from other countries.
“In addition, a letter was received on November 13, 2023 from the European Commissioner for Transport, Ms. Vălean, which conveys serious concerns about the failure to follow the balanced approach procedure for the implementation”
That’s not to say these flight caps won’t ever return, but a least the 425,000 flight limit in 2024 will be raised back up to 500,000. Even so, Harbers expressed a desire to move forward with caps in other ways:
“The government is therefore determined to continue the balanced approach procedure to reduce noise pollution and to record this in regulations.”
Schiphol Airport Not Happy
You would think this news would make Schiphol Airport rejoice. After all, the airport sustains itself with flights. One might imagine that an airport would seek for greater connectivity and cheaper pricing via more flights for its passengers.
But not Schiphol. The airport lamented the bad news, expressing “disappointment” and sadness for local residents.
Today it was announced that the Dutch government is suspending the Experimental Ruling. Schiphol is disappointed by the recent developments, as local residents are getting the short end of the stick. Reducing the number of flights is not a goal in itself for us, but the Experimental Ruling did provide clarity and certainty for local residents. Moreover, according to Schiphol, falling back on ‘anticipatory enforcement’ leads to more uncertainty, including for the aviation sector itself. It is time that hindrance for local residents is noticeably reduced. The importance of a night closure of Schiphol is now becoming even more imminent. This also applies to the other measures in our 8-point plan, such as the ban on private flights and the banning of the noisiest aircraft.
Here’s a thought: Schiphol Airport is 100 years old. Those who live there knew what they were getting themselves into.
As One Mile At A Time wryly notes the following tension:
- Schiphol Airport is owned by Royal Schiphol Group
- Royal Schiphol Group is owned by the government
- So why is the airport expressing disappointment in the government (itself)?
CONCLUSION
The Dutch government has suspended its plan to implement mandatory flight cuts at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. While that is great news for consumers, the government has suggested it will continue to look for ways to cut flights…so this issue is not over.
As I said on X, maybe instead of lamenting about having to offer more flights, AMS should work on improving the passenger experience…
Maybe instead of whining about how your flights (i.e. source of sustainment) won’t be cut, you should work on improving the passenger experience? 💡 https://t.co/y4wh7pU9x9
— Matthew Klint – Live And Let's Fly (@LiveandLetsFly) November 14, 2023
> Read More: Chaos At Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, With KLM Suspending Ticket Sales
Government uses questionable premise to create problem.
Government tries to “solve” problem.
Government makes problem worse.
Government gets mad at government and tries more government.
Rinse.
Repeat.
I just landed at AMS and it was worse than 5 years ago. The gates were of course full and KLM had to wait to find a new gate. Then the bags took forever to arrive. Again, this is not a one time thing but something that’s consistent. Other airports like JFK can be bad too but it varies. AMS always has problems. I tend to agree that government mandating reduced flights usually is not appropriate but the situation at AMS is bad. It can’t handle the amount of flights it has. Native Dutch, most of whom don’t live in Amsterdam, fare the worst.
Climate scam! Maybe they want to land bikes at Schiphol. I use that airport as my main entry point in Europe and what used to be a fantastic airport is now a total zoo. Forget about checking bag as you will probably never see it again. Lounges are a mess and overcrowded, you can barely walk in the airport with so many people it looks like a mall on Black Friday. I am avoiding it.
More flights = more work to do. Based on my visits to AMS, the (government?) employees who run the place don’t appear to fancy hard work. They do appear to do the minimum of what’s expected and little more. So, I’d imagine that this news was a crushing blow to them. More to do!
So is the issue that the airport cannot handle more flights? I’ve never experienced the crowding or issues that others have mentioned.
Schiphol has always had its challenges. Sometimes you lad so far that it is another trip to get to your gate. Sometimes people joke we landed in Rotterdam. Maybe the crowd is because of the design of the airport which I think is the great advantage it offers: no trains or buses to reach another terminal. It is all walking but that means you will walk by everyone that is in that airport so it can feel like walking in a crowded mall. Now, in the last two years, check in and security was so bad that they were asking passengers to arrive 5 hours before a flight. They installed tents outside so passengers in line for hours would be protected from sun and rain. I have pictures of the mountains of lost luggage they had in the airport. It is a total mess.
The security screening lines for AMS-originating passengers and the lines for Schengen exit and entry passport control have been a big mess at times. But it’s been better this year than it was 18 months ago or so.
AMS used to be a reliably good airport for my US-EU-US runs and my preferred EU/Schengen one by far. Nowadays it’s just another “ok, whatever, at least it’s better than transiting Heathrow” airport for me.
Does Schipol Airport or Royal Schipol Group generate any revenue from the huge rail station there?
I think something like 100k people ride through there daily and I know there’s fast rail service to Belgium and France too. Took a high speed rail once. 300 miles in 3 hrs straight to the center of Paris. Pretty cool to have a train station right there. I think LA said 100k a day drove over I-10 daily where it burned recently.
I realize travel bloggers don’t make their money on rail reporting (yet anyway) but it is probably worth recognizing that Schipol is more than just an airport even if that’s mostly all it is to most americans.
It was pretty bad in 2021 and 2022, though more so for originating than connections (and status or flying business mattered a lot). But that was apparently mainly due to post-pandemic staff shortages. I’d still be concerned about whether AMS could handle the flights. I monitor flyertalk whenever I am supposed to be going through there.
Ah. The citizens want a more quiet, cleaner environment. The government must respond by taking action they really know will never happen. So lip service is paid, which allows blame to be passed.
Charles Dickens wrote about government and the office of “how not to do it”.
The airport is mad that they will have less business.
Only in Europe…
Not to worry. This government will be gone in weeks.
The locals?
AMS started commercial operations right after WW I. Hard to imagine any current ‘locals’ were not aware an airport was close by!
These locals are crazier than the newport beach psychos with SNA.
Oh no, looks like the carbon emissions will not be reduced. God forgive us we’re all going to die.
Yes, but the government did make the gaslighting attempt at fighting for the cause. ; )
Very sad: Save the planet yet now euthanize autistic members of the Dutch society.
Matthew, please allow the link for reference if able, thank you:
https://apnews.com/article/euthanasia-autism-intellectual-disabilities-netherlands-b5c4906d0305dd97e16da363575c03ae
I´ve been flying in and out of AMS at least 1-2-3-4-5 times a year for the last 10 years. Never had any meaningful wait there and generally the place is a lot more efficient than any of the larger airports around, be it BRU or FRA or CDG.
If I have the choice I make it a point to go through AMS. Also because KLM is as good as it gets for a transatlantic carrier if you fly in economy.
Schipol already has a huge choice of departure paths, probably more than any major European airport and yet there is an obsesssion with noise.
I live close to LHR and right under where D1J and D1K converge. Eastbound departures are not the norm but when they happen about 40% go right over my house. Compared to ten years ago the noise is now insignificant for most of the time even on a fine summer day when all the windows are open.
The difference is simply how must less noise departures generate and how much smaller noise footprints are. The only planes I really now notice are the long in the tooth BA 772s, no one else operates anything of similar vintage. The 77Ws are not far behind.
Because the 737 is a rare visitor to LHR these days and only really used by LOT, we don’t get them at all and short haul is now 90% A20/21Ns and they are like a buzz in the sky. A350/80 and 787 are a tiny bit more noticeable than the A20/21N but still gone very quickly.
Schipol will not doubt get much better as KLM retire their 737s and replace them with A20/21Ns which should start happening next year and they also have 772s which are on the way out.
Of course, no doubt fewer slots would mean higher prices at AMS but it may also lead to a significant reduction in business for KLM who depend on connecting traffic for their business model. Schipol management should be careful what they wish for.