Schiphol forecasts fewer people seriously affected by aircraft noise in 2027

Schiphol expects the number of people seriously affected by aircraft noise around the airport to fall to about 150,000 in the operating year ending 31 October 2027, as more flights use quieter aircraft. The forecast is the airport’s own; environmental groups and local residents are challenging the new airport traffic decree on which it is based.

Schiphol says about 45 per cent of flights in the period will be made by aircraft in the quietest categories. Its forecast estimates that the number of seriously affected people will be roughly half the level in 2000, when it stood at about 300,000.

Measurements from 40 monitoring stations on rooftops around the airport indicate that newer aircraft types produce less noise than older ones, the report says. Schiphol chief executive Pieter van Oord said the forecast showed progress towards an airport “better balanced with its surroundings”.

The forecast covers the airport’s 2027 operating year, from 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027, and is based on the new Airport Traffic Decree, which took effect on 1 November.

Last month, environmental organisations and residents said they would ask the Council of State to annul the decree. They argue that it legalises years of excessive noise and harms health. The Council of State has not yet ruled on the challenge.

Schiphol also plans a major renovation of the Oostbaan runway from March to August 2027. The airport expects limited disruption to nearby residents because the runway is its least-used and mainly serves smaller aircraft.