JetBlue Airways said on Friday that it has filed a complaint with the US Department of Transportation against the Netherlands and the European Union in response to the Dutch government's decision to restrict traffic at Amsterdam's Schipol Airport.
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The Dutch government said earlier this month that it will proceed with plans to limit the number of flights at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport next year to minimize noise, a decision that is strongly opposed by KLM and airline industry associations.
"By doing so, the Dutch government is flagrantly violating the US-EU Air Transport Agreement," JetBlue said in its lawsuit. Flights will be limited to 452,500 per year, which is over 10% less than in 2019 and lower than a previous plan of 460,000. According to JetBlue, the action effectively restricted Schiphol to new entrants. "Carriers with a history at Schiphol face a 4% capacity reduction." "New entrants, such as JetBlue, face a completely closed market and complete expulsion from the market," the business stated.
"This is not a fair or proportional outcome despite Dutch government assurances otherwise." Airlines that use Schiphol, notably Air France-KLM, have filed a lawsuit to overturn the restriction at one of Europe's biggest airports. They claim it will be detrimental to the company and contradict past agreements. JetBlue, which has had two daily flights between Amsterdam and the United States since August, said it had requested the United States government to take similar action against Dutch carriers if a solution could not be achieved.
