ONE OF EUROPE’S biggest airports has plans to ban private jets and cut late night flights in order to curb its CO2 emissions, and to reduce noise pollution. 

Schiphol Airport – a key transfer hub – has today stated that there will be no more landings between midnight and 5am on its runways, while private jets and noisier aircrafts will simply “no longer be welcome” once these measures come into effect. 

Aircrafts will also no longer take off from Schiphol between midnight and 6am. 

The reforms aim to cut noise and emissions in line with the Paris climate agreement, the Royal Schiphol Group has stated. 

The group has also called on the Netherland government to enshrine the system that it is introducing “in law”.

The CEO of the airport, Ruud Sondag, said that he wants Schiphol to become “quieter and cleaner more rapidly”. 

“We have thought about growth but too little about its impact for too long. We need to be sustainable for our employees, the local environment and the world,” Sondag added. 

Speaking today, he recognised that these changes will have “significant implications for the aviation industry”, but he added that he believes they are “necessary”. 

Sondag further stated that these reforms are “the only way” to “regain the trust of employees, passengers, neighbours, politics and society”.

Schiphol will also make cuts to “small business aviation”, which it says causes a “disproportionate amount of noise nuisance and CO2 emissions per passenger”. 

It adds that 30 to 50% of private jet flights are to holiday hotspots like “Ibiza, Cannes and Innsbruck”, destinations which airport management says it has “sufficient” scheduled flights to. 

The changes at Schiphol are to come into effect “no later than 2025-2026″. 

According to predictions made by airport management, the number of people experiencing severe noise nuisance will fall by 17,500, and  the number of local residents experiencing severe sleep disturbance due to airport activity will fall by 13,000. 

The airport is also abandoning plans for an additional runway, and asking the government to revoke its reservation of land to facilitate the project. 

“This reservation puts unnecessary pressure on the already scarce space in the area,” Schiphol has said.

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can make sure we can keep reliable, meaningful news open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

Support us Learn More