Schiphol Airport Secures Conditional Relief for 483,000 Flights in 2024

Schiphol Airport has announced plans to operate 483,000 flights in 2024, with a focus on providing capacity for more than 60 per cent or a total of 293,000 flights during the summer season, stretching between April and October.

The decision follows weeks-long negotiations with airlines, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W), and the slot coordinator, while the decision to reduce the number of operated flights has dropped, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

The airport’s capacity adjustments were prompted by the Minister of I&W’s suspension of the experimental scheme on November 14. In response to the minister’s directive, Schiphol had extensive discussions with Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL), the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, and Customs to ensure the safety and stability of operations.

The total number of flights expected to be operated for 2024 – a total of 293,000 is up by 4.6 per cent from the initial idea to operate 280,000 flights. Schiphol’s earlier projection was based on the annual total of 460,000 flights as was established in the experimental scheme. In the current calendar year, Schiphol expected approximately 433,000 flights to be operated.

Patricia Vitalis, Executive Director of Operations at Royal Schiphol Group, highlighted the collaborative effort required to improve operational capacity.

The busy peak times require a major effort from the entire aviation sector and the involved government partners. In order to offer travellers a pleasant and safe journey, we really need each other at the airport.

To manage peak times effectively, Schiphol is working with airlines to implement voluntary reductions in the number of flights during these periods. The independent slot coordinator will lead discussions on how this reduction can be reached, hoping airlines will voluntarily comply. However, if necessary, obligations may be imposed to make sure that the agreements are being fulfilled.

Analysis in recent weeks has revealed the challenges posed by the morning peak, where numerous large aircraft with many passengers arrive at the same time, leading to operational issues and long waiting queues. Schiphol plans to add to this pressure by reducing the capacity in one of the morning peaks from 68 to 65 arrivals per hour.

Looking ahead, discussions for the winter season, which stretches between October and April, will take place later in 2024, ensuring continued collaboration between Schiphol and its aviation partners.