U bevindt zich op: Home › News › Press releases and news items

Boosting the economy with sustainable aviation

News item | 20-04-2009

The government wants the Dutch aviation industry to become more competitive by becoming more sustainable. This means cutting costs and being innovative.

This is the message in the aviation policy document submitted to Parliament by Camiel Eurlings, the Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, and Jacqueline Cramer, the Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning.

The Netherlands plays an important part in European aviation. The Dutch aviation industry is growing and provides employment for 121,000 people.

But it needs to keep abreast with international developments to maintain this position. The aviation policy document describes how the government will help it do so in a responsible and sustainable way.

Saving costs

The government wants to keep the Netherlands linked directly to the world's most important economic centres.

To strengthen the Netherlands' competitiveness, the government will take cost-saving measures, including the abolition of aviation tax.

The aviation industry has also undertaken to cut costs.

Sustainability

The aviation industry needs to be sustainable and innovative in order to strengthen its competitiveness and protect the environment. The government will therefore stimulate measures to limit nuisance and quieter, cleaner flights.

The Netherlands has a leading position in sustainable aviation thanks to its advanced fuel policy and on-board weight reduction measures.

In order to maintain this leading position, industry players, including companies and research institutes, will launch a knowledge and innovation agenda in summer 2009.

By 2040, the Netherlands wants to make Schiphol the world's first climate-neutral airport, both on the ground and in the air.