Dutch authorities try to avoid Russian air ban over Schiphol landing slots

Authorities in the Netherlands tried Tuesday to defuse a threat by Moscow to close Russian air space to Dutch planes in a dispute over landing slots at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. The Dutch Airline Pilots Association said Russia has indicated it will enforce the ban from Saturday. It would mainly hurt KLM, the only Dutch airline that flies over Russia. The dispute centres on a reduction from 23 to 13 in the number of slots available to Russian freight carrier AirBridgeCargo at the airport following Schiphol's half-yearly reallocation Oct 28. A spokesman for the Russian transport ministry said KLM and AirBridgeCargo were in talks about KLM giving up some of its slots as part of a possible compromise. De Telegraaf newspaper reported that around 15% of KLM's flights would be affected. <br/>