PVA, a Dutch action group, welcomes Position Paper for Schiphol shrinkage
We are pleased that the municipality of Amsterdam considers the shrinkage of the airport inevitable in its Position Paper on Schiphol. The municipality acknowledges that the interests of local residents and employees have been ignored for too long. As a result, the municipality’s pursuit of broad prosperity has come under pressure. The municipality therefore aims for a sustainable transition for the benefit of the quality of life and health of local residents and employees. Amsterdam has clearly taken note of the most recent social and scientific insights regarding the position of Schiphol and the economic advantages and disadvantages of the current Schiphol for the city, the region and the country, and has therefore revised its previous positions considerably. Aiming for a maximum of 400 thousand flight movements means a reduction of twenty percent.
PVA acknowledges that Schiphol plays a role for the international knowledge metropolis that Amsterdam is. But the proven negative impact of the airport must be reduced considerably. And that is possible without any problem, because shrinkage offers new economic opportunities because the airport competes with other important sectors for scarce labor and space. Furthermore, shrinking Schiphol will boost housing construction and companies and institutions that are currently being held back by labor shortages, such as education, healthcare and technical professions. On balance, shrinking will only yield gains.
This will allow us to arrive at a joint, shared vision of how Schiphol can contribute economically and sustainably to the healthy development of the city, region and country in the future. A prosperous and sustainable Amsterdam region is much better off with a Schiphol that matches the demand from the Dutch market. If flights with many transfer passengers and distant new holiday destinations are eliminated, space is literally and figuratively created for more broad prosperity. Research shows that approximately 250 thousand flights are sufficient for good connectivity in the Netherlands.
It is important that Amsterdam wants to move towards True Pricing and a heavier tax on long-haul flights. As a result, market forces will automatically create an appropriate size for Schiphol and complex processes such as the Balanced Approach will not be necessary. Ultimately, it is about political will, preferably intrinsic rather than enforced by the courts, to stand up for people, the environment and the climate. Amsterdam can serve as an example in this regard.
