The Council of State has approved the cabinet’s plans to shrink traffic and enforce legal noise limits at Schiphol from 1 November. The new framework will be formally anchored in an Airport Traffic Decree, ending twelve years without statutory enforcement.
New flight rules and noise zones were designated in 2014 but never enshrined in law, leaving authorities unable to penalise repeated noise breaches over Amsterdam and the wider region.
Both the Tweede Kamer and the Eerste Kamer must still vote on the plans, and Infrastructure Minister Vincent Karremans must refine parts of the decree’s legal substantiation before rollout.
Stricter limits and flight caps
The rules cap annual flights at Schiphol at 478,000, down from 500,000, while limiting night flights to a maximum of 27,000 per year.
By 2029, the number of people suffering severe aircraft noise disturbance must drop by 20% compared to late 2024, alongside a 15% reduction in severe sleep disruption.
Noise monitoring will rely on additional enforcement points. If limits are breached, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate will have the power to intervene, including cutting flight numbers, though exceptions remain for safety, weather, and runway maintenance.
Objections over future growth
The Council of State agreed that flight numbers could eventually return to 500,000 if noise and environmental emissions drop sufficiently.
That potential rebound faces opposition from Schiphol-area municipalities, including the municipality of Amsterdam, which demands a cap of 400,000 flights and a partial overnight closure.
The advisory body noted that existing flight paths combined with new noise limits could increase disturbance in certain spots, instructing the cabinet to explain these local effects and better demonstrate compliance with European privacy protections.
A fleet transition is central to the planned noise reductions. Over 40% of aircraft currently using Schiphol belong to the newest generation, encouraged by higher airport tariffs for older, louder planes.
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