Transavia Airlines (HV, Amsterdam Schiphol) chief executive Marcel de Nooijer does not rule out a scenario where the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines low-cost subsidiary is forced to leave the Netherlands should a proposed night-flight ban go ahead at Amsterdam Schiphol.
"I think we're on a timeline that does not rule out anything," he said when interviewed on public broadcaster NPO Radio 1 on April 19. Pressed by host Sven Kockelmann about the possible consequences of a night closure at Schiphol, he answered: "We always have to check in every situation: what are the solutions?"
Still, being a longstanding airline serving Dutch travellers, De Nooijer emphasised that Transavia would like to keep its home base at Schiphol. "It is not easy to pick it up all at once and put it somewhere else. That can have major consequences."
He warned that a night-time closure of Schiphol would make it unaffordable for Transavia Airlines to serve the airport, as night flights are an essential part of the airline's revenue model. "We want to be able to operate three times a day because that means we can carry as many seats as possible, and that keeps flying affordable, and the night is a very important part of that."
According to De Nooijer, Transavia Airlines has 73% of all night slots at Schiphol, between 2400L and 0500L (2300-0400Z).
He further cautioned about the possible resulting capacity loss for Dutch holidaymakers, making - he said - flying inaccessible to a large part of Dutch society, as well as the potential loss to aviation-linked sectors such as hotels, taxis, and caterers.
He also argued that the proposed night ban was unnecessary as the airline's fleet renewal made it redundant. Currently operating forty-six B737s (mostly B737-800s and four B737-700s), Transavia Airlines is transitioning to an all-Airbus fleet following an order for 100 A320neo Family aircraft by parent Air France-KLM. Transavia has already received three A321-200NX with two more to follow. It also has four A321-200Ns on order, according to the ch-aviation fleets module.
It is not the first time the idea has been mooted for Air France-KLM, Transavia Airlines, and Transavia France (TO, Paris Orly) to operate from bases elsewhere in Europe.
In addition to its home base at Schiphol, Transavia Airlines operates from Dutch bases Eindhoven and Rotterdam, ch-aviation fleets data shows. The low-cost carrier also operates from Brussels National to 15 European destinations, according to the ch-aviation schedules module. Previous plans for bases in Munich and Copenhagen Kastrup did not materialise. The airline is now reportedly eyeing Düsseldorf for expansion.
KLM and Delta Air Lines have already adjusted their incoming flight schedules to the proposed curfew hours at Schiphol.
However, in November 2023, the Dutch government provisionally suspended an "experimental regulation" to set a limit of 460,000 flight movements at Schiphol as of March 31, 2024. It cited as reason a lawsuit against the regulation filed by several airlines. In addition, the United States and Canada are considering countermeasures that could affect Dutch airlines. The European Commission also doubts if the scheme complied with European laws and regulations. A Supreme Court ruling in the lawsuit is not expected until the second quarter of 2024 or later.
