Airline groups have urged the Dutch government to ¡°safeguard connectivity¡± from Amsterdam¡¯s Schiphol airport as it prepares to impose an annual cap on flights.

The government is planning to cut capacity at Schiphol from 500,000 flights per year to 478,000 from 2025 as a measure designed to reduce noise pollution from aircraft.

But in a joint statement, Airlines for Europe (A4E), the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said they would ¡°stand firm in their commitment to protecting air connectivity¡±.

The groups said that cutting flights ¡°should not be the goal¡± of any policy to reduce noise from aircraft and the airline industry was ¡°actively advancing noise reduction through fleet modernisation, improved operational procedures and innovation¡±.

¡°Arbitrary capacity cuts will also undermine further investments in quieter, more fuel-efficient aircraft,¡± added the airline associations in their statement.

EU countries are required to follow the internationally recognised ¡°Balanced Approach¡± when assessing any measures designed to reduce the impact of aircraft noise.

Last month, the European Commission adopted the Dutch government¡¯s decision to cut Schiphol¡¯s permitted annual flights because it had ¡°largely followed the correct procedure¡±. Although the commission also highlighted ¡°some shortcomings¡± in the government¡¯s approach.

¡°The plan only addresses commercial aviation, exempting general aviation and business aviation from the measures, despite their contribution to noise,¡± said the commission.

¡°Furthermore, the commission found that the Netherlands has only partially considered the potential of fleet renewal to reduce aircraft noise.¡±

Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of Airlines for Europe, said: ¡°The commission¡¯s observations can¡¯t simply be ignored. We stand by our members as they explore legal avenues to ensure that noise mitigation efforts are fair, effective and proportionate.¡±

Montserrat Barriga, director general of ERA, added: ¡°Noise reduction must be the focus - not unnecessary flight reduction and restrictions that come at the expense of connectivity. ERA advocates for a collaborative, evidence-based approach to address noise concerns, rather than unilateral capacity restrictions that disrupt connectivity and the Single Market.¡±