Arjan Kers, Managing Director of TUI Netherlands and Belgium, is calling on the government to scrap Schiphol’s planned downsizing.
The night closure must also be taken off the table.
He stated this on Tuesday at Sven op 1, the interview program of WNL on Radio 1.
‘Give us as a sector the opportunity to grow towards the sustainability plans,’ says Kers.
On Tuesday, the ministers of the Schoof cabinet met for the first time in the Catshuis to discuss the government’s plans.
Aviation is an important topic in this.
There are currently plans to reduce the number of flights at Schiphol to a maximum of 400,000 per year and to introduce a night closure.
This should reduce emissions and noise pollution.
Two major airlines make use of the night slots at Schiphol: TUI fly and Transavia.
‘When we are closed at night, we can make fewer strokes and that has a direct impact on the consumer’s holiday,’ says Kers.
Many people who live around Schiphol experience noise nuisance, but according to Kers, night closure is not the solution either.
‘We often start at five o’clock in the morning. If you shift all that to seven or eight hours, you have a huge peak that affects people much more than the spread we have now.’ According to Kers, this spread is actually an advantage, because there are only a few peak moments during the day.
The sustainability plans of the aviation sector were not heard by the previous cabinet, says Kers, who hopes that the new cabinet will enter into talks with the aviation sector.
‘We want to become more sustainable, so help companies to become more sustainable. Now, sustainability is taxed more heavily. Don’t punish us with new rules that put more pressure on the business community.’ Kers hopes that Minister Barry Madlener (Infrastructure and Water Management, PVV) will have more understanding for the plans that the sector has submitted, such as the investment in the new generation of more sustainable aircraft.
The TUI CEO believes that the finger is being pointed at the sector too easily.
‘At the end of the day, we’re talking about only two to three percent emissions worldwide.’ Kers hopes that Lelystad Airport will soon open for holiday flights, especially now that Eindhoven Airport will close for a few months in 2027. Listen to the entire broadcast here or watch part of the interview of presenter Sven Kockelmann with Kers via YouTube. (Archive photo TravMagazine).
