Airports
Court Blocks Movement Cuts at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
It is unclear whether the new Dutch government will pursue its predecessor's environmental policies
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Dutch government moves to restrict movements at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport have been blocked by the country's Supreme Court. © Royal Schiphol Group

A ruling by the Dutch Supreme Court on July 12 appears to have blocked unilateral moves to reduce the annual number of flights at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The court refused to uphold an earlier Amsterdam Court of Appeal ruling that had supported the government’s plans to limit movements to 460,000 per year as part of noise-reduction efforts.

Essentially, the court ruling requires the Dutch government to follow European Union rules if it presses ahead with environmental limits on air traffic. Last year, in the face of legal challenges, the previous Dutch government watered down and then suspended plans for cuts in aircraft movements, including a plan to limit business aviation movements to 12,000 per year from March 2024.