Although hardly anyone was flying at the end of 2020, flying shame was still in vogue at the beginning of last year. In the Netherlands, too, resistance grew against the unbridled growth of Schiphol Airport and the opening of another airport, Lelystad Airport. The residents of Schiphol in particular asked for a break in the development of Schiphol until 2023.
“This happened in an unexpected way and probably surpassed it”, says Schiphol CEO Dick Benschop on Monday in a reflection on the old and new years. “How are we going to use this time?”
According to the CEO of the Amsterdam airport, lessons have been learned from the crisis of 2008 and in particular the period of growth in aviation that followed. “This growth was going too fast and had undesirable consequences for the environment.” That must change now, he says.
Growth in itself should no longer be an objective. “In its simplest form, it means that we want to retain the benefits of what we have built, while demonstrably continuing to reduce the disadvantages – the externalities.” Benschop thinks aviation can count on broad support.
The CEO of Schiphol is still holding on to the opening of Lelystad Airport. “It is now up to the cabinet to take the decision to adopt Schiphol Airport, review the airspace and complete the procedures around Lelystad Airport,” said Benschop.
– .
