“KLM is of great importance for the business climate in the Netherlands,” KLM CEO Marjan Rintel said on the TV show Buitenhof. She responded to a report published by Natuur & Milieu last week. The report stated that Schiphol Airport may cancel one out of every three flights. According to researchers, flights with transfers in particular are not of great importance for the economy.
But according to Rintel, this means KLM's international network is “collapsing”. She stated that the association's network contributes significantly to the Netherlands' attractiveness for international business.
“It's easy to say that one in three flights could be cancelled,” said Buitenhof's Rintel. “But I can't run a company based on half-hearted stories. The economic role that KLM plays is very important. We must maintain that.”
This week, the House of Representatives will also discuss the shrinkage of Schiphol Airport. The government temporarily suspended the plan to limit the number of flights to 460,000 this summer in November. Outgoing Minister Mark Harpers (Infrastructure) confirms that Schiphol will have to downsize in the long term to protect nature, climate and living environment. But he pointed out that the plan to start doing so as early as 2024 faces many legal objections.
Do not shrink from an end in itself
“Deflation should not be an end in itself,” Rintel stressed. According to her, the goal is to reduce noise pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. To achieve this, KLM is renewing its fleet with cleaner, more economical and quieter aircraft. The CEO stated that this innovation should be completed at KLM in the coming years. “Our role is to make things more sustainable.”
On Friday, it published further advice to the Solicitor General of the Supreme Court. This states that the government may not limit the number of flights at Schiphol without obtaining permission from Europe.
