Yahoo Finance Holidaymakers to be stung by ‘crazy’ green travel cuts in Amsterdam
The former boss of British Airways has accused Dutch government of unnecessarily ruining millions of holidaymakers' travel plans as part of its green agenda.
Willie Walsh, who ran BA and later its parent company IAG between 2005 and 2020, said that plans to reduce flights from Amsterdam’s Schiphol by a fifth will throttle Europe-wide air travel.
The Dutch government has imposed a cap of 440,000 flights per year, a 20pc reduction, to reduce noise levels and harmful emissions.
But Mr Walsh, now head of trade body Iata, said: “This crazy decision to cut the airport off at its knees will achieve none of the stated environmental aims.”
Schiphol, majority owned by the Dutch state, has retained its status as the world’s busiest airport, according to Eurocontrol figures released yesterday.
Bosses at the Dutch airport criticised the government’s proposed cuts.
In a statement, airport chiefs said: “The plans of the cabinet as presented now lead to great uncertainty and much remains unclear.
“We see that major risks are being taken with regard to the quality of the network. There is also the risk that going back to the old noise system would mean a shift in noise nuisance that would not be beneficial to the surrounding communities.”
Olivier Jankovec, director general of airports body ACI Europe also condemned the proposed cuts.
He said: "In so many ways, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is what makes the Netherlands bigger than it is.
“From that standpoint, there is no doubt that the decision of the Government to significantly reduce the capacity of the airport will make the Netherlands smaller.”
Heathrow was given the green light to build its third runway by parliament in 2018. It then became bogged down in a legal challenge by climate change campaigners. Although the Supreme Court ultimately sided with the airport and the Government, the pandemic has led to the airport’s expansion being put on ice.
Mr Walsh added: “After two years of restrictions, the world is getting moving again. Schiphol has been struggling to cope with demand, which shows how important the airport is, not just to Dutch travellers, but as a strategic hub.
“The government should reverse course and set out a meaningful pathway for the sustainable growth of aviation in the Netherlands, focused on delivering sustainable aviation fuels and helping the industry meet its commitment to achieve net-zero CO2 by 2050.”
