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EXPLANATION
Introduction
This regulation is part of the traffic distribution rule. It gives a more detailed specification of the
rules that have been set on this matter in the Decree traffic distribution between the airports
Schiphol and Lelystad. It concerns the following three points. In the first place the criteria are
determined which lead to the qualification of a leisure destination. These destinations are also
named in the annex to the regulation. In the second place it is determined which kinds of flights at
Schiphol are allowed to make use of the capacity which is released as a consequence of the traffic
distribution rule. In the third and last place it is determined in which order the time periods within
which the prohibition applies at Schiphol, will be settled, and it will prescribe what the valid time
periods are.
These three aspects will be gone into consecutively.
1. Criteria for a leisure destination
Leisure destinations must comply with the following criteria to be designated as such:
a. distance from Schiphol between 700 and 4000 kilometres;
b. a transfer percentage at destination level of less than 10%;
c. not a capital city;
d. more than 10 aircraft movements at destination level per annum.
Ad a.
The maximum distance of 4000 kilometres is prompted by the fact that intercontinental
destinations, because of their contribution to the hub function, must remain at Schiphol. It is
furthermore not possible to serve such destinations from Lelystad – this is because of the length of
the runway at Lelystad.
The minimum distance of 700 kilometres has been chosen because below the distance class of 600
to 800 kilometres leisure travelers hardly make use of air travel. Research shows that if the travel
distance is between 600 and 800 kilometers only 16 per cent of the leisure travelers use the
aircraft as travel mode. On the contrary, 62 per cent of the business travelers uses air travel at a
travel distance between 600 and 800 kilometers
1. From this it may be concluded that an aircraft
journey to a destination less than 600 to 800 kilometres will usually have a business character, and
will therefore not be considered a leisure destination.
Ad b.
The transfer percentage is a distinctive criterion because transfer flights contribute to Schiphol’s
hub function. The importance of transfer passengers is even greater to Schiphol because of the
small home market. A transfer percentage of at least 10% indicates a minimum for airlines to be
able to serve a profitable (inter)continental destination from several thin feeder flights. In addition
to this, Lelystad is a suitable alternative for origin-destination traffic. Just like the first criterion,
this criterion applies irrespective of by which airline this destination is served.
Ad c.
An exception has been made for capital cities as destinations because connectivity between
Schiphol and capital cities is important from an economic, political and cultural point of view.
Ad d.
Finally a minimum frequency will also be employed. Destinations that are served less than 10 times
a year in total, are so incidental that it often concerns alternate flights.
It is important to emphasise that the criteria mentioned above are applied equally to all
destinations and irrespective of the airlines which serve the destinations.
1 Institute of Aviation, M3 Systems, Mobility in European countries (2007)
The application of the criteria mentioned above leads to a list of leisure destinations which is
reproduced in the annex to the regulation. In that list the destinations (airports) have thus been
designated which may no longer be served from Schiphol during the periods which are also
determined in this regulation. On the basis of the Decree traffic distribution between the airports
Schiphol and Lelystad, this prohibition also applies if the destinations function as the departure
points for flights.
2. Kind of flights which are allowed to use the released capacity at Schiphol
The goal of the traffic distribution rule is to offer capacity to intercontinental traffic and feeder
traffic. For that reason the capacity which is released as a result of the prohibition to fly to
designated leisure destinations, is reserved for intercontinental destinations and the feeder traffic
connected to it. So that concerns the flights to destinations at a distance of more than 4000
kilometres from Schiphol, and the flights with a share of on average 10% or more transfer
passengers who change to a flight to a destination which is at a distance of more than 4000
kilometres. Airlines must be able to show that the latter is the case for the flights which they carry
out.
3. Time periods
There is not enough capacity at Lelystad Airport to relocate all flights to the designated leisure
destinations at once. That is why there will be a phased distribution of leisure traffic in time. To
offer clarity about this phased distribution, certain time periods will be designated successively
within which the prohibition applies at Schiphol. Lelystad can be utilised the entire period the
airport is open.
The selection in time will first occur in the time periods (the so-called blocks) for arriving and
departing flights which are the most relevant to the hub operation and where scarcity is the most
acute. This means that designated destinations will be relocated successively from block 2 (07:50 -
10:39 hours), block 6 (18:20 - 21:39 hours), block 3 (11:00 – 12:39 hours), block 4 (13:00 -
14:59 hours), block 5 (15:20 - 17:59 hours) and block 1 (07:00 - 07:19 hours). Subsequently the
designated leisure destinations from the other time periods wil be distributed equally. The 20-
minute intervals between the blocks can be explained by the incorporation of so-called “fire breaks”
to absorb operational disturbances and to be able to guarantee the reliability of the schedule.
Moreover, no time periods may be designated between 23:00 and 06:00 hours, as long as Lelystad
Airport is not open during the night.
When the above-mentioned blocks will be designated, depends on the growth path in terms of
available capacity at Lelystad Airport. During the first year only the blocks 2 and 6 will be
designated. This therefore concerns the time periods 07:50 - 10:39 hours and 18:20 - 21:39
hours. This can be explained by the fact that there will be capacity at Lelystad for 4000 aircraft
movements during the first year. The number of aircraft movements to leisure destinations at
Schiphol during the blocks 2 and 6 also amount to (nearly) 4000.
Entry into force
The regulation will enter into force at the same time as the Decree traffic distribution between the
airports Schiphol and Lelystad enters into force. This will be as of 1 April 2019 in case the market
approach of Schiphol Group has not produced the intended effect.
THE MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC WORKS AND WATER MANAGEMENT,