New Schiphol Decree Takes Effect: Annual Flights Capped at 478,000 and Noise Enforcement Points Rise to 148
A new Airport Traffic Decree for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol entered into force in the Netherlands on November 1, 2026, capping traffic at the airport at 478,000 flight movements a year, including a maximum of 27,000 at night. The decree ends a tolerance arrangement under which the rules of the old decree had not been enforced since 2015.
The decree expands the number of noise enforcement points around the airport from 35 to 148, each setting a maximum annual noise level, with enforcement by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT). It sets targets to cut noise nuisance by 20 percent during the day and 15 percent at night, measured by the number of seriously affected residents compared with 2024. The 478,000 cap will hold until the noise target is met; any growth toward 500,000 movements will depend on noise falling further, with both chambers of parliament involved in that decision.
The decree, published in the official gazette on October 27, was advanced by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Minister Vincent Karremans said Schiphol connects the Netherlands with the world and is very important for the country's earning capacity, describing the decree as a milestone after a multi-year process that strikes a fair balance between residents' interests and the economy. The government says the airport supports more than 110,000 jobs in the Netherlands, with about 68,000 people working directly at the airport.
In March 2026, the Council of State annulled an earlier amendment that had set the same 478,000 cap, finding it insufficiently justified; the new decree completed a fresh legislative process before taking effect. The House of Representatives debated the decree with Karremans on September 29, and on October 13 the Senate rejected all five motions put to a vote against it. Environmental groups including Greenpeace Nederland have said they will ask the Council of State to annul the new decree as well. (Source: Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management)
Source: Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 史基浦机场航拍（Tbatb，CC BY-SA，经 Wikimedia Commons）
