Red-light in Amsterdam: controversy over Schiphol Airport’s slot reduction

Schiphol Airport, the main terminal serving Amsterdam, is implementing a significant reduction in the number of flights. At the same time, officials are trying to provide the industry with information about these cuts, which, while subject to possible reversal, are forcing airlines to adjust their schedules for the upcoming summer.

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Airlines without historical rights will not receive slots for the summer of 2024. Those companies that do have such rights will also see a reduction in their allocation of time slots. As confirmed by the director of ACNL (the airport’s slot coordinator) in an interview with Reuters, these companies will receive an average of 3.1% fewer time slots.

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This change has its origins in the – controversial to say the least – government plan to restrict the number of flights to and from the airport in order to mitigate noise pollution. Due to this, last September, the U.S. airline JetBlue filed a complaint opposing the plans, arguing that these measures violate the U.S.-EU Air Transport Agreement. Recently, the company also requested restrictions on Air France-KLM operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York in retaliation. JetBlue started its flights to Schiphol from New York and Boston earlier this year.

The government’s goal is to achieve a reduction in the number of flights at Schiphol, one of Europe’s major airports, to 452,500 per year. This represents almost 10% less traffic than in 2019. The decision has been strongly criticized by the flagship carrier, KLM, which will see its daily operations reduced by about seventeen flights, and various industry groups.

More cuts for the future and an increase in fees

According to ACNL, the number of aircraft movements at Schiphol for the upcoming summer season will be limited to 280,645. This represents a reduction of almost 8% compared to the summer of 2019. However, this may be just the beginning. The Dutch government has already expressed its intention to reduce movements by 12%, ultimately reaching 440,000 annual operations.

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To add fuel to the fire, the airport has also announced a significant increase in airport fees starting in 2024. Schiphol will raise its airport fees not by the initially anticipated 12%, but by 14.8%. This additional increase is justified by the airport management due to the revenue losses in 2022 resulting from pandemic-related travel restrictions.