# Schiphol expects 150,000 severely noise-affected residents in 2027

> Schiphol's forecast for the operating year to October 2027 projects the number of people severely affected by noise at around 150,000, half the level of 2000, as quieter aircraft come into use. A major runway refurbishment runs from March to August.

News · published 2026-11-02 14:14 · https://nlnow.nl/a/schiphol-expects-150-000-severely-noise-affected-residents-in-2027/

Schiphol expects less aircraft noise in 2027 as more quieter planes fly. In its forecast for the year 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027, the airport says about 45% of flights will use aircraft from the quietest noise categories. It encourages this through differentiated airport charges.

As a result, the number of severely affected residents (ernstig gehinderden) around the airport is projected to fall to around 150,000. That is half the roughly 300,000 counted in 2000.

CEO Pieter van Oord said: "Our efforts to encourage quieter aircraft are delivering results, and the trend towards less aircraft noise around Schiphol is continuing. We are doing what we promised; Schiphol really is becoming quieter."

Measurements from about 40 monitoring stations on rooftops around the airport show that newer aircraft types make less noise than older ones. Schiphol adds that residents may still be troubled by noise.

## Oostbaan runway closed for work

The Schiphol-Oostbaan runway will be refurbished from 20 March to 8 August 2027, the most extensive maintenance ever carried out on it. Air traffic will use other runways meanwhile. Schiphol says the Oostbaan is its least used runway, mainly for smaller aircraft, so the impact on the surroundings should stay limited.

Chief Infrastructure Officer Bart Smolders said major runway maintenance cannot be kept entirely out of the summer, and that Schiphol will keep the work as short as possible. The forecast draws on research by the RIVM and on the new Luchthavenverkeersbesluit (Airport Traffic Decree), in force since 1 November 2026.

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) figures show Schiphol handled 42,674 flights in August 2026, down from 43,614 in August 2025 and 43,117 in August 2024. January 2026, with 31,354 flights, was the quietest month since September 2023.

**Schiphol flights dipped in early 2026 and are below last summer's level** (flights per month; source: CBS)

- Sep 2023: 40625
- Oct 2023: 41553
- Nov 2023: 35345
- Dec 2023: 35699
- Jan 2024: 35050
- Feb 2024: 35103
- Mar 2024: 38221
- Apr 2024: 39142
- May 2024: 42043
- Jun 2024: 40857
- Jul 2024: 42452
- Aug 2024: 43117
- Sep 2024: 41778
- Oct 2024: 42005
- Nov 2024: 36588
- Dec 2024: 37447
- Jan 2025: 35714
- Feb 2025: 34339
- Mar 2025: 38870
- Apr 2025: 40363
- May 2025: 42674
- Jun 2025: 40737
- Jul 2025: 43320
- Aug 2025: 43614
- Sep 2025: 41374
- Oct 2025: 42007
- Nov 2025: 36991
- Dec 2025: 37535
- Jan 2026: 31354
- Feb 2026: 32385
- Mar 2026: 38193
- Apr 2026: 39643
- May 2026: 41966
- Jun 2026: 40054
- Jul 2026: 42222
- Aug 2026: 42674

## Background

- **RIVM (Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu)**: The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment is the Dutch government's central research institute for public health, infectious diseases and environmental quality. It carries out research and monitoring for the national government, including the measurement and modelling of environmental factors such as air quality and noise exposure. Its findings are used by ministries, local authorities and regional bodies when they set and check environmental and health rules.
- **Luchthavenverkeersbesluit**: The Airport Traffic Decree is a Dutch general administrative order that sets the rules for air traffic at Schiphol and the other major Dutch airports. It covers matters such as how runways and flight paths may be used and the noise limits and noise zones that apply around the airports. Because it determines how much noise residents near Schiphol are exposed to, it is the key legal framework for airport noise planning in the Netherlands.

From NLnow, news from the Netherlands in English. How stories are made: https://nlnow.nl/about/