Shippers call for urgent implementation of Schiphol local rule

January 31, 2018

The Dutch Transport Minister has acknowledged the need for a local rule for cargo carriers at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol but no date has been given for implementation.

The local rule is designed to counter the effects of the slot scarcity caused by the 500,000 annual aircraft movement cap for the year 2020, which was agreed in 2008.

Schiphol almost breached this cap in 2017 and a slot reduction process was put in place, which has primarily impacted cargo flights.

The rule aims to make it easier for carriers to adapt their schedules to changing market requirements, without losing grandfather rights to their slots, and all slots that are not flown would be reallocated with priority for all cargo flights up to 25 per cent of the unused slots.

Three Dutch industry associations – the Dutch Shippers’ Council evofenedex, Transport & Logistics Netherlands, and Air Cargo Netherlands (ACN) have called on Transport Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen to speed up the process of establishing a local rule.

ACN says that the organisations are hoping the local rule implemented before the start of the summer season on 25 March, and in a recent meeting with the Parliament’s Aviation Commission, van Nieuwenhuizen acknowledged the need for a local rule for cargo but she did not indicated the date of effectiveness.

Approval and implementation of the local rule was delayed due to technical discussion within the Coordination Committee Netherlands (CCN) last December, and the issue was discussed during a working group meeting in mid January.

A second meeting is planned to draft a final text, which will be presented to the CCN for voting in an extraordinary meeting around 14 February.

Air Cargo Netherlands says the CCN’s advice will be send to the Ministry of Transport in order for them to check, confirm and communicate to the European Commission, and the association says the rule must not affect the independent status of the coordinator, must comply with the Community law and has to improve the efficient use of airport capacity.

ACN says: “Moreover, the airport slot coordinator of the Netherlands, ACNL (Airport Coordination Netherlands) has to prepare for a swift implementation, hopefully before the IATA summer seasons gets off. At ACN we keep our fingers crossed!”