Dutch court orders removal of 78,000 solar panels near Schiphol to protect flight safety

A Dutch court has ordered the removal of 78,000 solar panels from a solar farm near Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, citing a serious safety risk due to glare that blinded pilots during landings. The operator, De Groene Energie Corridor (DGEC), must remove half the panels by September 1, and the rest by October 15, or face penalties of up to €50 million.

The panels caused repeated closures of the Polderbaan runway 18R-36L, including 13 times in March alone.

Schiphol took DGEC to court in June after receiving no response to safety warnings. The judge ruled DGEC had acted with “social negligence”, prioritising cost over safety by installing lightly textured glass panels instead of the recommended deeply textured ones.

DGEC argued it followed permit rules and disputed the glare risk, suggesting pilot reports were subjective and alternatives like sunglasses or selective runway closures could mitigate the issue.

Airlines, including KLM, warned that runway closures could cause millions in daily losses. While DGEC said it supported aviation safety, it questioned who should bear the responsibility and costs for implementing solutions.