Direct naar de inhoud
Air traffic safety at Schiphol. (Source: Shutterstock/Pieter Beens)
Air traffic safety at Schiphol. (Source: Shutterstock/Pieter Beens)

Investigation into air traffic safety at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Status : Closed

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has expanded to become one of Europe’s main civil aviation hubs. It is a complex airport, both in terms of its infrastructure  and in terms of how air traffic is handled. This complexity entails certain risks for air traffic. Schiphol is approaching the limits of its ability to handle air traffic safely within the current operational system. The investigation found no evidence to suggest that safety at Schiphol is inadequate. However, the investigation did reveal a number of safety risks that need to be tackled.  The Dutch Safety Board notes that further growth of Schiphol will require more than marginal adjustments to the existing policy. This calls for a fundamental debate on the future of aviation in the Netherlands and on the options and limitations regarding Schiphol’s further growth. The Dutch State has final responsibility for the integral safety of air traffic at and around the airport.

Publication

In recent decades, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has expanded to become one of Europe’s main civil aviation hubs. The airport is sandwiched between densely populated urban areas, so trade-offs must continually be made between growth and the consequences thereof for the surrounding area. Safety needs to have a prominent place in these trade-offs, as the effects and impacts of civil aviation accidents can be substantial.

Following a series of incidents (some of which occurred more than once), the Dutch Safety Board carried out an investigation to identify any vulnerabilities in the safety system around Schiphol. The investigation found no evidence to suggest that safety at Schiphol is inadequate. However, the investigation did reveal a number of safety risks that need to be tackled integrally and systematically in order to guarantee safety both now and in the future.

This site is registered on wpml.org as a development site. Switch to a production site key to remove this banner.