According to aviation journalist Doron Sajet, the decision of the municipalities has created friendly circles in Dutch aviation. He says Rotterdam The Hague Airport isn’t the biggest loser in the matter, but that Transavia airlines in particular are unlucky. Transavia is the largest airline at the airport. ‘Transavia invests – just like parent company KLM – in new aircraft. Just like what happens in Schiphol’, says Sajet.
While pointing out that operations at Schiphol are much larger, he argues that Schiphol is indirectly hit in the face by objections to the expansion of Rotterdam The Hague Airport. “After all, Schiphol also wants to expand.”
Influence municipalities
However, the door is still ajar for both airports. Because where the municipalities surrounding Rotterdam Airport have lodged an objection, this does not lead to the granting of expansion rights. That decision is ultimately up to the state. Sajet: ‘The state provides an opportunity to submit opinions, so municipalities can think about it, write on it, you name it. Local residents are also allowed to do this, and this will be taken into account in further decisions.’
‘Support has really collapsed regarding the tolerance of local residents, but also of the municipality’
As an example, Sajet cites the situation around Schiphol, where objections from the surrounding area have actually led to a contraction. He therefore believes that expansion plans for Rotterdam The Hague airport will suffer the same fate. “The support has really collapsed regarding the tolerance of local residents, but also of the municipality.”