(Boursier.com) — New blow in sight for KLM and its Schiphol hub. While the Dutch government has already obtained a reduction in the number of upcoming flights on the Amsterdam platform in order to limit noise pollution and the impact on the environment, the group’s company Air France KLM now faces a proposed tax on connecting passengers.
The proposal from the lower house of the Dutch parliament, which also includes a tax on private jets, was approved by a majority of Dutch lawmakers on Thursday evening. If it still has to be voted on by the Senate, this measure would be very harmful for the Netherlands and travelers from around the world who transit through Schiphol, a leading airport in the world. It aims to raise funds which will be used to reduce the energy bills of Dutch households.
The Dutch airline says the Netherlands is the first country in the world to propose this type of taxation and warned it would have a “detrimental” effect on air routes from the Netherlands. Ticket prices will increase from around 80 euros to 100 euros from January 2024 and travelers to the Netherlands may no longer be able to fly directly to certain destinations from Schiphol Airport, according to KLM.
“It goes without saying that KLM cannot simply accept a proposal that will have such immense consequences for us as a company and for the Netherlands as a whole,” the airline said in an email to Bloomberg. ‘, adding that six out of ten KLM passengers transit at Schiphol Airport. The tax could increase ticket prices for transit passengers in Amsterdam by 6.1% on average and result in a loss of transfer passengers of 34%, according to data commissioned by the government in May and carried out by CE Delft.
The hub function of Schiphol Airport brings major value to the Dutch economy, Hans van Kastel, spokesperson for Schiphol Airport, told the agency. “There is a risk that the competitive position of the Netherlands will be too seriously affected.”
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