Does cutting airport slots reduce climate impact? the case of Amsterdam airport

Date published

2025-06

Free to read from

2025-04-24

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Publisher

Elsevier

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Article

ISSN

1361-9209

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Citation

Suau-Sanchez P, Dobruszkes F, Mattioli G. (2025) Does cutting airport slots reduce climate impact? the case of Amsterdam airport. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, Volume 143, June 2025, Article number 104744

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of airport slot reductions as a strategy for mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, focusing on Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Following the Dutch Government's decision to reduce slots from 500,000 to 440,000, we analyse various risk scenarios using the D'Hondt method for proportional slot allocation and the Fuel Estimation in Air Transportation (FEAT) model to estimate fuel consumption. Strategies include proportional slot cuts, prioritising short-haul flights, and shifting to rail alternatives. Results show that short-term emissions reductions are modest and do not scale with slot reductions unless long-haul flights are significantly curtailed. Moreover, aircraft up-gauging could lead to increased emissions if airline behaviour is not addressed. Our findings challenge the effectiveness of slot reductions as a climate strategy, highlighting the importance of targeting long-haul flights and adopting comprehensive policies to achieve substantial emissions reductions. The study offers critical insights for sustainable aviation policy development.

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Github

Keywords

3509 Transportation, Logistics and Supply Chains, 35 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services, 13 Climate Action, Logistics & Transportation, 3304 Urban and regional planning, 3509 Transportation, logistics and supply chains, Airport slots, Airport capacity, Aviation sustainability, Demand management, Amsterdam Airport

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Attribution 4.0 International

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