Iata and a group of airlines are mounting a legal challenge to the Dutch Government’s decision to permanently cap the number of international flights in the Netherlands. The Dutch authorities say the purpose of the cap isto reduce carbon emissions and limit noise pollution.
CNN reports that two weeks ago, officials announced that a cap on international flights departing from the Netherlands was necessary for the country to reach its climate goals. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport had to reduce capacity from 500 000 flights a year to 460 000 by November 2023 and, by the end of 2024, to 440 000.
The Dutch Transport Ministry said that if the cap is exceeded in one year, the plan allows for a compensation to be made in the following year. “The policy will help the country meet its carbon goal. Further details remain to be decided and the government promises that discussions will include all parties.”
IATA has taken legal action against the government, calling the decision illegal. Director General Willie Walshsaid: “The Netherlands is handicapping its economy by destroying connectivity. And it is doing it in contravention of EU law and its international obligations. The dangerous precedent that this illegal approach creates left no choice but to challenge them in court”.
The Air-France KLM Group, Corendon, Delta Air Lines, easyJet and TUI have also started proceedings against the Dutch government. They say its unilateral and sudden decision to reduce Schiphol’s capacity from 500 000 to 440 000 by 2024 is incomprehensible.
“The airlines have already made multi-billion euro investments to meet near- and long-term goals in line with their own decarbonisation trajectories as well as government policies, while the government’s justification hinges on operational restrictions with no consideration of alternative workable solutions to effect noise reduction”, KLM said in a statement.
