Aviation sector goes to the administrative court

This week, KLM, TUI, BARIN and various other representatives of the aviation sector are jointly filing a case with the Administrative Law Division of the Council of State. With this they are trying to stop the planned reduction in the number of flight movements at Schiphol Airport.

The reason for this step is an earlier summary proceeding in which the civil court ruled that the decision-making process regarding the intended shrinkage belongs primarily to the domain of the administrative court. The airlines are therefore now turning to the competent administrative court. The lawsuit is directed against both Schiphol and the Dutch State.

Central to this case is Schiphol's so-called Airport Traffic Decree. The government intends to amend this decree, with the aim of reducing the maximum number of annual flight movements from 500,000 to 478,000. This measure aims to reduce noise pollution for those living near the airport.

The Advisory Division of the Council of State already issued an opinion on the proposal last month. This called on the government to strengthen the substantiation of the shrinkage plans. In particular, it was still insufficiently clear how the proposed reduction in the number of flights relates to the protection of the fundamental rights of local residents.