Amsterdam Airport Schiphol might have to reduce considerably the number of flights for environmental reasons

It may be necessary to take drastic measures to secure the future of Schiphol. Legal advisers to the government advise draconian measures because the airport does not comply with regulations on nitrogen and in the field of noise and nuisance, sources tell the Dutch State television NOS. The airport also does not have a nature permit. 

A nature permit is being worked on, but that is legally very complex. There is a chance that the number of flights per year will have to be reduced. Without drastic measures, according to lawyers, a licence could be issued for a maximum of 400,000 flight movements per year, a decrease of 20 percent.

In order to keep the current annual number, for example, according to the lawyers, it is necessary to buy up farms in the wider area. The speed limit on nearby highways should also be reduced to 80 kilometres per hour and polluting companies in the area must be tackled more strictly. And even then, it remains to be seen whether the nature permit required by Schiphol will stand up to the courts.

In the past, Schiphol had to ensure that nature is not damaged, but that has been arranged for years via the so-called Habitats and Birds Directive. For a long time, the airport thought that this was sufficient and that a separate nature permit was not necessary.

In 2019, the cabinet said that Schiphol must apply for that nature permit. During the nitrogen crisis, it turned out that Schiphol’s nitrogen emissions have an effect on nature. The airport must also comply with all kinds of environmental, stench and noise standards in order to protect local residents in particular.

Nature organisations have threatened to take legal action if there is no legally sound nature permit.

The government fears a forced downsizing of Schiphol because the airport is seen as an important engine for the economy. Furthermore, many foreign travellers use Schiphol to transfer.

The Council of Ministers will consider the Schiphol file on Friday, but there is no chance that it will find a solution to the complex legal problem on the same day. The case is likely to drag on for years.

Source: NOS