Schiphol downsizing will cost thousands of jobs at KLM, works warns

The government’s plans to shrink Schiphol Airport will cost thousands of jobs at KLM, Dario Fucci of the airline’s works council told the Telegraaf. “Fewer slots means fewer planes and fewer staff. It’s that simple,” Fucci said on behalf of KLM’s 27,000 employees.

The Dutch government submitted its plan to shrink Schiphol from 500,000 flight movements per year to 452,500 per year to the European Commission two weeks ago. The EU still has to approve the plan. On Tuesday, the lower house of the Dutch parliament will vote on whether caretaker Minister Mark Harbers of Infrastructure can continue to work on the plan or if it is too controversial and must, therefore, wait for the next Cabinet.

According to Fucci, KLM is “disproportionately” affected by the shrinking plans. “KLM is a network airline that flies all over the world and has its home base here. That is different from, for example, Ryanair or Easyjet, which only fly in Europe and, therefore, within one market. Due to shrinkage, landing rights in other countries may be taken away from us because other airlines are also allowed to fly less to Schiphol.” The United States recently threatened to do just that. “As a result, the blunt ax hits us much harder than others, which can also sometimes go across the border.”

The share price of Air France-KLM has fallen sharply recently, partly because KLM’s prospects in the future have become more limited than competitors’, Fucci said. Schiphol also suffered a decline in creditworthiness due to the downsizing plan, according to the newspaper.

According to Fucci, KLM submitted an alternative plan showing that downsizing is unnecessary. “We invest billions in a quieter fleet and are then punished. This is the world turned upside down,” he said. The government is also talking with Air Traffic Control about alternative approach routes with less noise, he said. “Little has been done about that for years. Why does KLM have to suffer for the fact that the Minister doesn’t have his own shop in order?”