Amsterdam Airport warns of possible capacity cuts next summer

Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport is now warning that it may have to cut capacity next summer due to operational issues, raising the hackles of airlines in what is the latest twist in a saga around shrinking flights at the hub.

The move comes weeks after the Dutch government announced it would no longer pursue a flight reduction of 8% at the airport. The state had faced pressure from the European Union as well as the US government, which threatened to retaliate over JetBlue Airways Corp.’s expulsion as part of the cutbacks.

Schiphol warned Tuesday that it ultimately may not be able to handle more than 460,000 flights across the summer period due to operational challenges. 

“On the one hand we understand the desire for airlines to fly more than 460,000 flights, on the other hand those 460,000 flights would already be an increase,” from current levels, said Schiphol spokesperson Stefan Donker. The airport is considering multiple scenarios and intends to provide clarity about capacity slots soon, said Donker.

The International Air Transport Association, or IATA, is calling on Schiphol and air traffic control to produce an action plan to ensure that capacity can be set at 483,000 flights. Schiphol cited various reasons for potentially operating at a limit, including insufficient terminal facilities for wide-body jets, inadequate resources for customs and border checks, and lack of air traffic control capacity, the airline lobby group said in a Tuesday statement.

The Amsterdam hub has not operated with more than 460,000 flights since 2019.

“We’re being asked to believe that Schiphol’s new capacity just happens to be the same as the amount of flights the government tried to force airlines to operate under its discredited experimental regulation,” said IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh. “I like to believe in coincidences, but this seems a coincidence too far.”