Plans to cut the number of flights at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) next summer have been reluctantly suspended by the Dutch government after it came under pressure from the USA, Canada and the European Union.

While airlines have welcomed the government’s U-turn, there is still no guarantee there will be as many slots available at Schiphol next summer as there were in summer 2023.  

JetBlue Airways, which started serving Amsterdam in August and had filed a complaint with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) against the proposed flight caps, had stood to lose its slots at the Dutch hub next summer under the flight-cap plan because it had no historic slots at the airport. That could still happen despite the suspension, Hugo Thomassen, managing director of Airport Coordination Netherlands (ACNL), which distributes slots at Schiphol, tells Runway Girl Network.

“It is possible that AMS will declare [fewer] slots than last summer. That’s up to the airport,” says Thomassen. “In case AMS declares more slots, 24 airlines including JetBlue can claim these slots. ANCL will then have to apply the priority of the European Slot Regulation to decide which airlines get slots. JetBlue may well not be among them.”

He adds: “All in all, there is no certainty on JetBlue for AMS now.”

A JetBlue spokesperson says the Dutch government has “taken a good first step” in agreeing to suspend its plan, and the airline will continue to push for access to the airport next summer.

“We now urge the Dutch government and all relevant stakeholders to ensure we have access for next summer so we can continue to bring JetBlue’s low fares and great service to Amsterdam,” adds the spokesperson.   

In a 14 November letter to the Dutch parliament, infrastructure minister Mark Harbers said that he had “unfortunately” taken the decision to suspend the plan, describing the about-turn as “a bitter pill” to swallow. 

Harbers goes on to say that the US DOT had begun taking “countermeasures” against the plan, and EU transport commissioner Adina Valean had expressed “serious concerns” about whether the proposed flight caps were in compliance with European law.

The suspension is the latest development in a long-running battle by the government to shrink operations at Schiphol in order to reduce aircraft noise and emissions. 

Amid fury and ongoing legal action from airlines, the Netherlands’ caretaker government in early September submitted its plan to cap flights at the hub to the European Commission for approval under the ‘Balanced Approach‘ procedure.

The plan called for flights to and from Schiphol to be capped at 452,500 from the start of the 2024 summer season. The government had originally proposed limiting flights to a maximum of 440,000 a year — down from 500,000. 

In July, a group of carriers including KLM Group, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, EasyJet and JetBlue, backed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airlines for Europe, initiated “cassation proceedings” at the Netherlands Supreme Court, in a bid to quash an appeal court’s earlier ruling that the proposed caps could go ahead. Harbers says in his recent letter to parliament that the Supreme Court’s judgment is not expected before the second quarter of 2024. 

Airlines have applauded the government’s U-turn. IATA director general Willie Walsh says: “We welcome this outbreak of common sense from the Dutch government. Maintaining Schiphol’s capacity is good news for jobs, the economy, traveler choice and convenience, and better trade relations.”

KLM says it is “satisfied” that the government has put the plans on hold, noting: “It is an important step to prevent retaliation and to continue flying to the US. In addition, the European Commission has sent a clear signal to go through a careful legal process according to the Balanced Approach.”

Schiphol, however, is “disappointed” by the move, which, it says, gives local residents “the short end of the stick” and means “more uncertainty” for residents and the aviation sector.

Adding to the uncertainty, a general election is due to be held in the Netherlands on 22 November. One of the candidates running for office and doing well in the polls is former EU climate commissioner Frans Timmermans.  

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Featured image credited to JetBlue