Washington angry about Schiphol shrinkage, considering countermeasures

The U.S. Department of Transportation is not keen on reducing space for US airlines at Schiphol Airport. The ban on the low-cost carrier JetBlue in the Netherlands is "unfair and unreasonable" and violates European-American treaties, Washington said. The ministry is considering countermeasures, according to a letter obtained by ANP.

The U.S. Department has now asked the Dutch airlines KLM, Martinair, and TUI to submit their flight schedules for flights to and from the USA within seven days. According to Washington, it will wait until then to take countermeasures. U.S. airline JetBlue, which is losing take-off and landing rights at Schiphol, has insisted that Dutch airlines are also being hampered in the U.S.

JetBlue is one of 24 airlines that have flown to Schiphol since last summer. For example, there have been flights from New York JFK and Boston to Amsterdam since August. However, it has been announced that JetBlue has not been allocated any slots for next year, according to Hugo Thomassen, Managing Director of Airport Coordination Netherlands. One of the reasons for this is that the American low-cost airline does not hold historic slots rights at Schiphol, Travel Weekly reported.

Washington says it will hold talks with the Dutch government and the European Commission on Nov. 13 about the decision. "Should consultations fail to resolve the issue, the Department is prepared to consider further action."

The U.S. government has already protested several times against the shrinking of Schiphol but says it has never received a reasonable justification from the Dutch government. Due to the shrinking of Schiphol, fewer flights could take off from Schiphol from next year.

KLM explained that the transatlantic cooperation with Delta Air Lines, Air France, and Virgin Atlantic is very important for the future of the airline. "We have repeatedly pointed out to the Dutch government the possible consequences that forced downsizing could have in the form of retaliatory measures. This possible retaliatory effect is very damaging for KLM and jeopardizes the network that connects the Netherlands with the rest of the world. We therefore call on the Dutch government to find a solution."

The airline goes on to say that its "cleaner, quieter, more economical" plan shows that it is possible to make significantly less noise for local residents without drastically reducing the number of aircraft movements.