KLM eyes new widebody order

US's JetBlue challenges Dutch, EU over Schiphol capacity cap

JetBlue Airways (B6, New York JFK) has filed a complaint against the Dutch government and the European Union over a planned capacity cap in aid of noise and carbon emissions control at Amsterdam Schiphol, calling for drastic countermeasures that could impact KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

In a regulatory filing, the budget carrier called for an immediate, targeted, and impactful response from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) in light of what it claimed was the threat of its imminent expulsion from Schiphol in 2024 at the end of the coming winter season due to the proposed capacity cap.

The September 28 filing revealed that its complaint lodged with the DOT was filed under the International Air Transportation Fair Competitive Practices Act (IATFCPA). It supported a separate complaint filed by Airlines for America (A4A) on September 22 over the same issue.

Legal challenges

The Dutch government's plan to cut capacity at Schiphol from 500,000 to 440,000 flights annually is hugely unpopular with the wider aviation industry, with KLM itself leading a...

Editorial Comment: Added comments from KLM and Schiphol. - 30.09.2023 - 11:08 UTC

Nature permit imposes Schiphol cap of 440,000 flights a year

Amsterdam Schiphol has permission to cap its capacity at a minimum of 440,000 flight movements annually as part of a nature permit (natuurvergunning) granted by the Netherlands' minister of nature and nitrogen policy, the airport announced in a statement. However, until the next government decides on the issue after elections in November, it will be allowed a maximum of 500,000.

The permit opens the door for the Dutch government to implement stricter environmental and noise limits at Schiphol.

"We want such a new system as soon as possible but no later than 2025-2026," the airport said. "We call on the government to develop a legally binding system where the goal is no longer the number of flight movements but less noise and emissions, in line with the Paris Climate Accords."

The airport applied for the permit in October 2020 in line with provisions under the Dutch Nature Conservation Act (Wet natuurbescherming - WNB).

The restriction is in line with a new Airport Traffic Decree the Dutch government issued on June 24, 2022, that limits the...

Transit passenger tax will harm Schiphol, KLM

Air France-KLM to order 50+40 A350s

Air France-KLM has announced its intention to order fifty A350s directly from Airbus with a further forty purchase rights. Deliveries of the firm-ordered jets are expected between 2026 and 2030. The aircraft will allow the holding to replace its previous-generation A330 and B777 types, rendering the Franco-Dutch holding the world's largest A350 Family operator.

The holding said the order would include both A350-900s and A350-1000s but did not provide an exact split. The widebodies will be operated by both Air France (AF, Paris CDG) and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam Schiphol) but did not disclose any exact details, saying only that it would have the "flexibility to allocate aircraft within its portfolio of airlines, according to market dynamics and local regulatory conditions".

The new order will come on top of an existing commitment for forty-one A350-900s for Air France (of which 22 are currently in service) and eight A350Fs for Air France and Martinair (Netherlands) (MP, Amsterdam Schiphol) (none in service yet). Seven A350-900s were...