The municipality of Amsterdam wants Schiphol to “seriously downsize” to reduce noise pollution and emissions. The Council of Mayors and Local Councilors wants the number of flights reduced to a maximum of 400,000 a year.

“Continuation in the same way, or even expansion and growth, is no longer possible,” the council wrote to the city council. “This is to the detriment of the living environment of the Schiphol area and the quality of life of its residents.”

At the end of last year, the municipality also announced that it wanted a smaller Schiphol airport, with a maximum capacity of 440,000 flights. The new requirements now go a little further.

With this new position, the municipality of Amsterdam is in direct opposition to outgoing Minister Harpers (Infrastructure and Water Management). It was announced last month that, thanks to a number of measures, the maximum number of flights could be increased again to 470,000.

Views also differ regarding night flights. Minister Harpers does not want any more noisy planes flying to and from the airport between 11pm and 7am from next year. Amsterdam does not go any further: the capital does not want any more planes to land or take off at those times.

Schiphol Airport is approximately 70 percent owned by the Dutch state. The municipality of Amsterdam owns 20 percent of the shares and says it acts as an active shareholder.

The focus is not limited to reducing the airport only. According to the municipality, the salaries of the chaebol management and its supervisory board should also be reduced.