The decision by the Netherlands government to abandon plans to cap flights at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport has been welcomed by the US Transportation Department. Polly Trottenberg from the US DOT described it as the “right decision.”
The US had expressed clear opposition to the flight cap proposal and had hinted at potential retaliation. JetBlue, a US airline, faced the risk of losing its new slots at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport if the cap had been implemented.
The Dutch government confirmed the abandonment of the plan to reduce flights from 500,000 to 460,000 next summer after facing protests from airlines. Minister for Infrastructure and Water, Mark Harbers, stated that the initial phase of the plan has been shelved “until further notice,” leaving the possibility of revisiting the issue in the future.
The proposed flight cap was initially aimed at mitigating noise and air pollution concerns. US trade group Airlines for America expressed appreciation for the decision and thanked the US government for “issuing a very strong order outlining the violations of the US-EU Air Transport Agreement.”
