SCHIPHOL, 22/04/06 - Schiphol wants to further encourage the use of quieter aircraft. The Amsterdam airport proposes that these aircraft should pay relatively even lower takeoff and landing fees in the coming years than the noisiest.

Schiphol had already introduced a reward system for airline companies using aircraft with quieter motors in the 1990s. The quietest aircraft currently receive a discount of 10 percent, while the noisiest have to pay 30 percent extra. Schiphol wants to increase this differential. The same applies to fee differentials between takeoff and landing at night.

Schiphol also hopes to limit noise nuisance by reserving extra night takeoff and landing rights primarily for aircraft that are the quietest in their weight category. Additionally, flights that are more important economically to the Netherlands are to have priority. "An airline that is expanding its network to, for example, Rio de Janeiro can therefore have a greater chance than a company wanting to fly to London for the sixtieth time," explained a spokeswoman.

Schiphol will now discuss the proposals with the airline companies. A start should be made with the new rewards policy in April 2007.