THE Dutch government suspends its project reduction in the number of flights at the airport Amsterdam-Schiphol in order to reduce noise pollutionDutch media reported yesterday.
First concerned, the Dutch airline KLM, whose main hub is Amsterdam-Schiphol, welcomed The Hague’s change of heart: “This is an important step to prevent retaliation and continue flying to the United States. Furthermore, the European Commission has sent a clear signal in favor of a careful legal procedure following a balanced approach“, reacted Air France’s partner in a press release.
“We have accepted a number of announced measures, such as the cleaner, quieter and more economical plan, to accelerate the reduction of noise pollution. KLM shares the government’s environmental concerns and is fully committed to reducing its environmental footprint. The Air France-KLM group has accelerated its long-term investment plan of several billion euros in the renewal of its fleet and the use of sustainable aviation fuel. In the coming months, KLM and Transavia (the group’s low-cost subsidiary, editor’s note) will receive their first aircraft from the Airbus A320neo family, with a noise footprint reduced by 33% on average. Since the 2000s, the group has already reduced its noise emissions by 40%.“, underlined KLM.
In a decision hotly contested by KLM and other airlines serving the Dutch capital, the Dutch government said in September that it intended to reduce the number of flights at Amsterdam-Schiphol by half a year. million per year to just 452,000 by next winter, almost 10% below 2019 levels.
