The case was brought by airlines, including KLM. The judge agreed with the companies’ argument that a target for reducing noise pollution at Schiphol should first be formulated. This then leads to a series of medium and long-term measures. If these measures are insufficient, only a reduction in the number of flights should be considered. This procedure derives from European law and the court also deemed it necessary to follow it.
Tolerance policy
The state had argued that there is currently a kind of policy of tolerance. According to the latest airport traffic decree from 2008, only 400,000 flights are permitted per year. Therefore, according to the state attorney, the procedure mentioned by the airlines should not have been followed.
The state’s ultimate goal is to reduce the annual number of flights to and from Schiphol to 440,000. The procedure for this is still ongoing. If this is completed, the number of flights may be reduced from next year.