Transavia could exit Dutch market if Schiphol stays closed during overnight hours

Transavia CEO Marcel de Nooijer said the budget airline has not ruled out the possibility of leaving the Netherlands if plans move forward to close Schiphol Airport during overnight hours. A year ago, the airport introduced several measures to improve the quality of life for people living in the area, including a ban on flights departing between midnight and 6 a.m., and disallowing scheduled or non-emergency arrivals between midnight and 5 a.m.

De Nooijer told radio program Sven op 1 that nothing can be ruled out at this point. “We will always have to check in every situation: what are the solutions?” he said in response to a question from presenter Sven Kockelmann about the possible consequences of the overnight closure.

The CEO emphasized the airline’s Dutch home, as a subsidiary of KLM, and the growth that Transavia has experienced in the Netherlands. “It is not easy to pick it up all at once and put it somewhere else. That can have major consequences.”

Initially, the airport wanted to implement this in the autumn of 2025. Last month, it emerged that the airport had plans to bring the plan forward to April 1, less than one year from now. Transavia has 73 percent of all Schiphol slots between midnight and 5 a.m., De Nooijer claimed. “We are the major consumer of that part.”

Transavia has strongly opposed plans for an overnight closure of Schiphol over the last year, which is intended to reduce noise pollution and carbon emissions. A night closure is unnecessary, partly because the company’s new aircraft are quieter than the current aircraft, De Nooijer argued. The CEO also warned of the consequences for the affordability of airline tickets if Schiphol were to close at night.

The budget air carrier has built a large part of its business model around the use of unpopular overnight take-off and landing slots, allowing it to keep prices relatively low even during holiday seasons. Additionally, the use of overnight hours is often important for airlines to utilize aircraft for the maximum number of flights possible, with the belief that the longer a plane sits on the ground, the longer it does not generate revenue.

Transavia wants to operate aircraft three times a day, the CEO explained. “Because that means that we can transport as many seats as possible and thus keep flying affordably. And the nighttime is a very important part of that.”