AMSTERDAM- In 2024, Schiphol Airport (AMS) has allocated capacity for 483,000 flights. For the summer season (March 31 – October 26), the airport intends to accommodate 293,000 flights, contingent upon alleviating peak times.
Schiphol communicated this decision today to airlines, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W), and the slot coordinator. This conclusion follows a five-week period during which Schiphol had to reassess its capacity for the summer season following the Minister of I&W’s announcement on November 14 to suspend the experimental scheme.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Conditional Relief
In this process, the Minister requested consideration for Air Traffic Control in the Netherlands (LVNL), the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, and Customs.
Schiphol engaged in discussions with airlines, and recent weeks have indicated the necessity for a modest reduction during peak times to ensure safe and stable operations, with airlines expressing their willingness to cooperate.
The 293,000 flights allocated for the 2024 summer season exceed Schiphol’s initially announced 280,000 flights. The latter figure was based on the annual total of 460,000 flights determined in the experimental scheme. For the calendar year 2023, Schiphol anticipates a total of approximately 433,000 flights.
“In response to the minister’s request, we thoroughly assessed operational possibilities following removing the experimental scheme. While we can now accommodate more flights, we must do so in a manner that ensures safety and responsibility, necessitating a reduction in pressure on specific peak hours. Tackling the challenges posed by these busy periods requires a concerted effort from the entire aviation sector and our government partners involved. Collaboration at the airport is crucial to providing travelers with a pleasant and secure journey. We have extensively discussed this matter in recent weeks, and it is reassuring to observe the commitment of airlines to actively contribute to alleviating peak traffic.”
Patricia Vitalis, Executive Director Operations at Royal Schiphol Group
The autonomous slot coordinator will talk with airlines to explore options for reducing the number of flights during peak times.
The preference is for voluntary participation, but the slot coordinator may impose obligations if necessary. It is imperative to ensure strict adherence to these agreements for safety and a pleasant travel experience for everyone at Schiphol.
Back Story
Schiphol has incorporated the additional flights into an addendum, supplementing the earlier capacity declaration for summer 2024, originally based on an annual total of 460,000 flights.
In formulating this addendum, the Minister stipulated that Schiphol consider the capacity of Air Traffic Control in the Netherlands (LVNL), the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, and Customs. Following Schiphol’s inquiry into their capacity, discussions were held with airlines.
Recent analyses have revealed that the morning peak, characterized by simultaneous arrivals of numerous large aircraft with substantial passenger capacity, poses challenges throughout the operational process, contributing to prolonged queues.
To alleviate this pressure, the decision was made to reduce the capacity during one of the morning peaks from 68 to 65 arrivals per hour. Discussions regarding the winter season (October 27, 2024 – March 30, 2025) will be conducted later in 2024.
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