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The Dutch airport, which acts as a European hub for international connecting flights, has cracked under pressure from the US and other neighbouring EU countries.
Earlier this week, the Dutch government announced that its largest and busiest airport will temporarily abandon plans to reduce the number of flights it allows to land yearly by at least 40,000.
Schiphol Airport, located in the capital city of Amsterdam, is a major European hub for international travel and sees around 500,000 planes land on its runways each year.
However, many local residents living south of the airport have complained that constant noise pollution from planes taking off and landing is diminishing their quality of life.
The decision to scrap the plan, which was due to come into effect in winter of 2024, comes after pushback from US authorities who called the incoming reduction in flights ‘unjust, discriminatory and anti-competitive for airlines.’
Representatives from the Dutch airline KLM have also said that cancelling the plan will be important for maintaining flights to America, while preventing retaliation from other countries who may see the cuts as a reason to sever ties with the Amsterdam airport.
Meanwhile, policymakers in the Netherlands’ pointed out that European law and aviation agreements posed another obstacle to successfully scrapping a large number of flights. To investigate this further, the Supreme Court will announce a ruling in mid-2024.
