Schiphol's night closure makes flying more expensive, but its impact on reducing nuisance is unclear
A night closure at Schiphol will make flying more expensive. A night lock also makes the Netherlands less accessible and less economically attractive. It is unclear whether such a drastic measure will actually reduce the nuisance experienced by local residents. According to Transavia, the goal should be to reduce nuisance and not to shrink the airport.
Transavia currently uses a third of the night slots at Schiphol. The ability to depart early in the morning and return late in the evening allows the airline to deploy its aircraft as optimally as possible. By flying back and forth three times a day, flying remains accessible to a large group of Dutch people. Transavia also explains this in an explainer on YouTube.
Transavia understands the need to reduce the nuisance of flying, both at night and during the day. Billions are being invested in this. Transavia's entire fleet will be renewed in the coming years. The new aircraft are noticeably cleaner and quieter. This summer, a fifth of Transavia's night flights will already be operated by the latest aircraft.
Negative effects
Research shows that the most nuisance is experienced between 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM in the evening and 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM in the morning. If Schiphol is closed at night, those night flights will be moved to those times and there will be more inconvenience for local residents. Furthermore, a night closure will put further pressure on Schiphol's connection network and thus the business climate in the Netherlands.
A night closure also means the end for Transavia in its current form, despite the fact that the airline clearly meets a need. People want to travel. A night lock puts the livelihood of thousands of Transavia employees at risk, regardless of the number of people who indirectly owe a job to the airline. The impact on employment in the hospitality industry, hotels, taxis and travel agents will be significant. It will also have an impact at airports such as Eindhoven Airport and Rotterdam The Hague Airport if Transavia no longer flies from there. It is not without reason that aviation unions emphasized the importance of night flights at Schiphol on Tuesday.
In order to achieve a future-proof and predictable policy, it is good that the aviation sector, the government and other stakeholders work together to arrive at innovative solutions that support the course towards cleaner, quieter and more economical flying. A night closure is a drastic measure that currently does not pay enough attention to the negative impact of such a step.