Home carrier KLM has hit out at a move by the Dutch government to cut the number of annual permissible flights from the Amsterdam hub airport by 12% which it says would erode its ability to operate a hub function. The reduction in flight levels at the airport is being taken to establish a ‘new equilibirum’ between flight activity and noise pollution at Schiphol and means the airport may not longer exceed the enforcement points for noise nuisance. In practice this means Schiphol can handle a maximum of 440,000 flight a year instead of 500,000, and is 20% less than the 540,000 envisaged under a previous government growth pathway. The upper limit is expected to take effect from November of this year. ”With this number of flights, Schiphol can maintain its international network of destinations,” the government says. While it retains the long-considered option to use nearby Lelystad Airport as an overspill airport for leisure flights, environmental considerations are also being considered here. ”This takes some time. The cabinet will therefore not take a decision about Lelystad Airport before the summer of 2024,” it says. Dutch infrastruture minister Mark Harbers says: “I want to offer certainty and perspective to both the aviation sector and local residents. This decision forms the basis for a new equilibrium. Unfortunately, it contains a difficult message for the aviation sector, which is still fully recovering from the drastic consequences of the corona pandemic. In the coming period, we will further elaborate the decision on Schiphol in consultation with local residents and all stakeholders involved in aviation.” KLM, though, argues the decision to cut back operations at Schiphol will have “dramatic consequences” for the airline and for the accessibility of the Netherlands. <br/>