Amsterdam joins fight to cut Schiphol Airport’s capacity

Amsterdam’s municipality called for flights at Schiphol airport to be cut by 12% to reduce noise pollution, intensifying the battle between politicians and airlines over the hub’s capacity.

The municipality, which holds a 20% stake in Europe’s biggest transfer hub, is now an “activist shareholder of Schiphol” and will take a tougher stance on proposals for a ban on private jets and the cancellation of night flights at the hub, Amsterdam councilor Hester van Buren said in an interview with Dutch newspaper Het Parool published on Monday.

The Dutch government, the majority shareholder of the Amsterdam airport, recently walked back its plan to reduce capacity at Schiphol by 8% for the 2024 summer season. The state faced pressure from the the European Union as well as the US government, which threatened to retaliate over JetBlue Airways Corp.’s expulsion as part of the cutbacks.

Van Buren warned that if a new government does not stand by the reduction plans, the city will vote against proposals in shareholder meetings that are not in line with downsizing. She said the municipality will hold talks in the coming months with stakeholders and residents’ groups in order to determine how far it wants to take its activist position.