Dutch government presses ahead with Schiphol flight cap as airlines protest
Dutch government presses ahead with Schiphol flight cap as airlines protest
The Dutch government will move ahead with plans to cap the number of flights at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport next year to reduce noise, it said on Friday, a decision that is fiercely opposed by flag carrier KLM and airline industry groups.
I'm from the nl and so many people fly for their holidays. It's simply not necessary. And a lot of these trips sound like visiting an attraction park to me rather than genuine travel and learning about other cultures, which would actually have some benefit.
Edit: I'd like to add that I think cultural exchange is better done through programs such as the Erasmus program. We could extend it to more people, but they should live with someone from the other culture and for a longer period. Further, it should be an exchange and not just some rich kid visiting a 'developing' country.
IMHO one way to reassure people is to improve train service in Schipol, offer direct train trips to/from more European cities.
Schipol act as a hub, a lot of people fly to Schipol just to take a connection and fly to another city.
Many connection could be train-flight, rather than flight-flight.
What do you mean, wasting local ressources in the ever same hotel resorts in Egypt, Turkey, Panama and the Dominicanian republic does not constitute cultural exchange? They did a bus tour around the area and only came back for lunch that day!
Reading this makes my stomach turn. Just like the countless photos I always receive of these places. And people think I'm the one who's nuts for couch surfing.
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Airlines that use Schiphol including Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) have sued to try to prevent the cap at one of Europe's busiest airports.
The decision is "arbitrary, ill-thought out and undercuts procedures normally used," said Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of industry group Airlines For Europe (A4E).
The government's main reason for the cap is to address noise pollution, but it has also cited the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as recurring logistical problems at the airport.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which supports the airlines' case, on Thursday told the Dutch caretaker government not to proceed ahead of a national election in November.
"In a few months’ time, this government will not be accountable for the severe consequences that may follow from the Schiphol decision, particularly with respect to relations with the Netherlands’ trading partners, and lost jobs and prosperity at home," IATA said in a statement.
At a press conference, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte confirmed that the U.S. Department of Transport had sent the Dutch government a letter airing concerns about the cap, which he said would be addressed.
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Archived on Sept 5th, 2023: Dutch government presses ahead with Schiphol flight cap as airlines protest by Toby Sterling