AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Airlines without historic rights at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, including newcomer JetBlue, will not be allocated slots for summer 2024, slot coordinator ACNL said on Thursday.
Airlines which do have historic rights will receive 3.1% fewer slots than before, ACNL Director Hugo Thomassen told Reuters, as the Dutch government moves ahead with contested plans to limit the number of flights to and from the airport to reduce noise.
U.S. carrier JetBlue in September filed a complaint against the Netherlands and the European Union with the U.S. Department of Transportation over the plans to curb traffic at Schiphol, saying they violate the U.S.-EU Air Transport Agreement.
Last month it urged the same agency to ban Air France’s KLM from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, in retaliation for the plans.
“We believe the U.S. and Dutch Governments have an obligation under our historic Open Skies Agreement to ensure that JetBlue is granted continued access at Amsterdam’s only viable airport,” JetBlue said in an emailed response.
The Dutch government aims to cut flights at Schiphol, one of Europe’s main air transport hubs, to 452,500 per year, almost 10% below 2019 levels and lower than a previous proposal of 460,000. The move is fiercely contested by flag carrier KLM and industry groups.
KLM said it was disappointed with the number of slots for the summer season. “This translates to a reduction of around 17 legs per day,” spokesperson Gerrie Brand said.
JetBlue, which began flying to Schiphol from New York and Boston this year, said it would continue to push for access to Schiphol landing slots so it “can continue to maintain its presence in Amsterdam going forward.”
(Reporting by Bart Meijer; editing by Jason Neely, Kirsten Donovan and Jonathan Oatis)
