The Amsterdam City Council is demanding a further 20% cut in flight movements at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, which would cap flight movements at 400 000 a year.
The municipality has more than doubled its demand for a 9% reduction proposed in December 2023. The city also reiterated its stance against night flights, advocating for an overnight closure between 23h00 and 07h00 according to NL Times.
The council said there needed to be “a better balance between the quality of life for local residents and the economy,” according to Alderman Hester van Buren. This is part of an effort to reduce noise and pollution.
KLM, the national carrier of the Netherlands, has previously taken a stance against the flight caps proposed by the Dutch government. The airline recently submitted its latest noise reduction measures which aim to reduce noise pollution and environmental impact through fleet renewal.
KLM said it would reduce noise pollution by incorporating new technology on aircraft, effectively manage the land around the airport, optimise operational procedures such as flight paths and landing procedures and, as a last resort, would consider restricting the number of flights or banning noisier aircraft.
The airline has already reduced its flight movements at Schiphol between the hours of 24h00 and 06h00.
Schiphol Airport said it had already proposed some of the restrictions suggested by the city, such as a ban on night flights and private jets, and that it supported the measures. However, the airport expressed concern on the extent of the measures and said it was important that Schiphol continued to act as an air travel hub.
