KLM has announced it may have to scrap at least 30 destinations from its flight network as a result of the government’s plan to limit passenger numbers and reduce crowds at Schiphol Airport.
With airport management taking steps to limit crowds at Schiphol through to next spring, the Dutch government is looking into options for capping the total number of incoming and outgoing flights, reducing numbers from 500.000 to 440.000 per year. As a key partner of the airport, KLM’s network could be severely affected by the change.
While no concrete plans have been put in place, KLM has informed the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) that the cap of 440.000 would mean the airline would have to reduce its network by roughly one-fifth.
One possible scenario would see KLM cancel flights from Amsterdam to 25 European destinations and at least another five destinations further afield, including Kyiv, Porto, Belgrade, Montreal, Boston, Taipei and Osaka.
In the letter to parliament, KLM speaks of “considerable damage” to its international network, adding that the airline has worked hard over the past several years to “add unique connections to make the Europe operation profitable and to make KLM financially healthy.”