JetBlue in September warned in a complaint to the U.S. Department of Transportation against the Dutch government and European Union that it was at risk of losing its slots at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport by the summer of 2024, and that prediction seems to have come true.
The Schiphol slot coordinator ACNL has said that airlines without historic rights at the airport, including JetBlue, will not be allocated summer 2024 slots, according to Reuters. In addition, airlines with historic rights will receive 3.1 percent fewer slots than before.
“We believe the U.S. and Dutch governments have an obligation under our historic Open Skies Agreement to ensure that JetBlue is granted continued access at Amsterdam’s only viable airport,” the carrier wrote in an email statement. “We look forward to continuing to engage with all stakeholders to ensure that JetBlue can continue to maintain its presence in Amsterdam going forward.”
JetBlue just entered the Amsterdam market in August, with flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and then in September with flights from Boston. It has two historic-eligible slots for the winter 2023-2024 scheduling season.
Schiphol and the Dutch government—which is a majority owner of the airport—has for the past year been in a contentious position with carriers and industry groups, which sued the government as it looked to cut annual movements at the airport to reduce noise pollution. In the most recent ruling, the Dutch court granted permission for the new flight caps to take place. Effective March 31, 2024, movements will be capped at 460,000, down from the current 500,000. As of Oct. 27, 2024, that figure will be reduced to 452,500.
For the summer 2024 season, which runs from March 31 to Oct. 26, Schiphol on Sept. 28 announced a cap of 280,645 flights, about 12,400 fewer than allowed in summer 2023.
In its September complaint, JetBlue also requested that the U.S. government take steps against Dutch carriers, including flag-carrier KLM, “to ensure that they are treated in a similar manner.”
