Yesterday, The Dutch minister of Infrastructure sent the first monitoring report regarding the Balanced Approach (BA) measures for Schiphol to the House of Representatives.
The report evaluates whether the package measures indeed leads to the intended 15% noise reduction. The night targets are comfortably met, but the overarching target for the number of homes within the 58 dB contour remains just below the line at 13.7%.
But… what exactly was the BA again? And what is our viewpoint?
The BA is an internationally agreed-upon method to reduce noise pollution around airports. It serves as a “step-by-step plan” that obliges governments to first explore smart alternatives before resorting to the most drastic measure: the cutting of flights.
According to these international rules, an airport is only permitted to restrict flights if all other reasonably deployed measures fail to achieve the noise policy objectives. These other measures are divided into three categories:
– Fleet renewal: The use of modern aircraft that produce less noise.
– Land-use planning: Preventing the construction of too many new homes in areas with high levels of aircraft noise.
– Operational measures: Changing the way aircraft fly, such as using routes that avoid residential areas.
Only after these steps have been exhausted do operating restrictions come into play.
ACN believes the government is making a crucial error regarding the second pillar (land-use planning). While aircraft are becoming quieter, municipalities continue to build more houses around Schiphol. Due to this new construction, the number of people affected by noise is actually increasing, which nullifies the positive effects of quieter engines.
The air cargo sector is deeply concerned about the proposed reducement of slots and a potential night closure. Approximately 7,500 cargo flights (roughly 15,000 slots, or 3% of the total) operate at Schiphol annually. A single cargo flight contributes significantly more than the average passenger flight our economy.
Cargo flights often have variable schedules. When demand of slots exceeds supply, they risk losing their slots faster than passenger airlines that operate on fixed schedules.
The night is crucial for integrators like DHL and FedEx, which provide essential 24-hour logistics services for companies in the Netherlands that are part of international value chains.
ACN is not opposed to reducing noise pollution, but we are against overhasty and unnecessary slot reduction.
Our view is that noise targets can be achieved through fleet renewal and smart operations alone, without the need to scrap flights.
New, quieter cargo planes though are not available overnight. The sector needs time to facilitate these massive investments.
Research shows that slot reduction without mitigating measures for cargo aircraft could cause Schiphol to lose its role as an international cargo hub.
