Amsterdam Schiphol Airport's proposed flight cuts have been rejected by the Dutch Supreme Court, as they are not in compliance with the Balanced Approach to Noise Management.
"We welcome this decision from the Supreme Court, affirming the original decision of the Amsterdam District Court that the unilateral cuts to flight numbers at Schiphol were unlawful, and overturning the Court of Appeal," said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
In 2023, the North Holland District Court ruled that the government had not followed the correct procedure with the experimental flight limit at Schiphol Airport.
However, the Dutch government, in agreement with the Amsterdam City Council's demand for a further 20% flight cut, submitted an appeal and received approval to reduce the number of flights at Schiphol at the beginning of July, reported reuters.com.
Walsh emphasised how the Balanced Approach could protect the national and regional growth of aviation and air connectivity while assisting in the mitigation of noise pollution for residents surrounding the airport.
"We expect the new Dutch Government will respect today’s decision and proceed to apply the Balanced Approach, which is also enshrined in EU law and international treaties, with the utmost care with regard to Schiphol," said Walsh.
