Dutch government to rein in flights at Schiphol Airport

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Dutch government plans to cut the maximum number of flights allowed each year at the country’s busiest aviation hub, Schiphol Airport, in an attempt to reduce noise and air pollution. Friday’s decision — which is expected to come into force late next year — to cut the number of flights allowed from around 500,000 to 440,000 is a further blow to the air port that has seen chaos in recent weeks amid security staff shortages, with hours-long lines of passengers waiting to board flights. Schiphol, on the outskirts of Amsterdam, has been growing for years and has become a busy European hub and a significant driver of economic growth in the Netherlands.