Fighter jets at Lelystad want the cabinet, but those holiday flights now have no political support
/s3/static.nrc.nl/images/gn4/data132693888-383c68.jpg "Fighter jets at Lelystad want the cabinet, but those holiday flights now have no political support")
Barry Madlener had one task last week. The Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management (PVV) had to arrange political support for holiday airfield and Air Force Base Lelystad Airport. Not only for anyone who wants to go on a flying holiday in the future. But also for the expansion plans of Defense, in particular a basis for the F-35 beam hunters. Because without holiday flights, no combat aircraft, say the province of Flevoland and the municipality of Lelystad.
VVD and PVV did not have to convince Madlener. Be that The only parties in the Lower House who are before holiday flights at Lelystad Airport (LA). Conversations with NSC and BBB – Madlener would have visited Caroline van der Plas, however, remained fruitless, pale Friday After the Council of Ministers. The two coalition parties remain at the opening of Lelystad Airport for commercial passenger traffic.
BBB does not want aviation and farmers are not helped with their nitrogen problems. It is salient that the BBB group is against LA, but party mate Gijs Tuinman as State Secretary for Defense Airport Lelystad would like to open for shared military and civil use. He writes that in the National Program Room for Defense (NPRD) that he Friday presented.
The NSC group doubts whether an extra airport can be opened at all due to climate change and the call for noise reduction. In addition, citizens and administrators are in ‘Overvlieg provinces’ Overijssel and Gelderland against the opening of LA. Gelderland and Overijssel fear noise nuisance on the Veluwe, among others. And that is precisely the power base.
Preferred location
And so Prime Minister Dick Schoof was with half-empty hands on Friday afternoon: fighter jets, but no holiday flights on Lelystad (yet). During the press conference after the Council of Ministers, Schoof was able to confirm that Lelystad Airport is the only ‘preferred location’ of Defense for a airbase for the Dutch F-35s. In addition to Leeuwarden and Volkel, that would be the third basis. Seventeen F-35s should be stationed at the airport (from 2035-2040).
But, Schoof said: « No decision was made today about the civil part of the airport. » « Time was not ripe for that. » « We hope that Minister Madlener can submit a decision to the Council of Ministers in the short term. »
What does the cabinet do, a journalist asked on Friday, if that fails? Does the state then take over Lelystad Airport from Schiphol? « A creative thought, » it waved away. Even though the acquisition of an airport brings the Dutch defense investments a lot closer to the NATO standard.
After the Council of Ministers, Madlener told the collected press that he promised the prime minister to continue working « carefully » on the political support for the holiday airfield. « I hope we can proceed with decision -making this year. »
And so for the time being, the municipality of Lelystad and the province of Flevoland would only get the burdens and not the lusts, as both authorities have always called it in recent months. The F-35s are the burdens, knows everyone who has ever listened to the jet hunters in Leeuwarden or Volkel. According to regional politicians, the lusts are the holiday flights, because they would create employment.
For the time being it seems that the cabinet mainly cites on a destination as an air force base. If that is indeed the outcome of the political process, many parties will have to adjust their expectations and a considerable renovation is still needed. This was also apparent from the ‘Space for Defense’ nota.
Tuinman mentions all kinds of things that have to be solved before his fighter jets can use Lelystad Airport. For example, he is still looking for 60 to 90 hectares of space for the required military infrastructure (Lelystad is now 35 hectares in size).
What it comes down to: the entire airport must be overhauled. For F-35s, special hangars, better security, the supply of other kerosene and even more adapted infrastructure are required. The current track length (2.4 km) may be insufficient with maximum loading.
Thirteen homes
The political priority shift was signed up from the end of 2024. Then it was announced that Defense Lelystad Airport – now only in use by hobby flyers and business jets – sees it as a possible basis. De Peel was also in the picture, but the cabinet feared great resistance there. And Groningen Airport Eelde dropped out because of the ‘honorary debt’ that the government feels to the province due to the consequences of gas extraction.
Around Lelystad Airport, gardener had calculated, living and working the least people who would experience noise nuisance from the airport. If the fighter jets were to come to LA, thirteen homes or businesses would have to be bought out, Defense reported.
Province and municipality already linked in December The arrival of the F-35s in the fate of the holiday airfield. The opening of this has been postponed at least five times in recent years. The Sound of FreedomThe sound of the fighter jets, want to accept the governments as also Boeing 737 Max and A321NEOOs from companies such as Transavia, Ryanair and Wizz Air on LA can start and land.
Flevoland and Lelystad hope that it will yield jobs. Now a little more than half of Flevoland’s labor force works outside the province. They like to keep those jobs within the province. Good for the local liveability and against the daily traffic jams to the Randstad. At 10,000 flights, around 400 to 500 jobs at Lelystad Airport are to be expected. For comparison: Eindhoven Airport processes 42,000 flights per year and has 1,700 employees. It is not known how much work the F-35s are giving.
Lucrative use
The change of course can have a major impact on all parties that were so far involved in the development of LA and who did so purely because Schiphol is bursting and they want to process more holiday flights.
The Schiphol group, full owner of LA since 1993, has always stated that it sees little salvation in just the arrival of the F-35s. Why would Schiphol manage an airport that can only be used militarily? The group suffers a loss of 10 million euros annually at Lelystad Airport. In recent years, the airport – together with the government – invested nearly 250 million euros in Lelystad Airport. According to the LA management, the airport can be profitable within three years at 10,000 flights per year. In the long term, LA wants to grow to 45,000.
Opponents of the airport find this economic wish thinking. Lelystad Airport would budget far too high income from port fees (which airlines pay an airport per passenger for luggage handling, security, cleaning).
Conducting by Defense makes the calculation a lot more positive. Then the Schiphol Group and the Ministry share the costs for, for example, fire brigade, job maintenance and other facilities and LA is more profitable.
Nature permit
Schiphol, the LA management and politicians of VVD and PVV have been stating for years that the airport is completely ready to receive holiday flights. A signature from the minister under the so -called ‘airport decision’ and the first flights to the sun can leave. But that’s not right.
The most important objection: the airport has no nature permit. This is mandatory for every activity, for example aviation, which has a negative effect on nearby nature. Schiphol applied for the LA permit in 2020. That was for 10,000, not for 45,000 flight movements. Moreover, in the long term, the flights of the F-35s would be added here. That would be 5,400 flight movements per year.
State Secretary Jean Rummenie (agriculture, fishing, food security and nature; BBB) also stated last week: « I understand the wish of the Schiphol group to be able to open Lelystad Airport, but the Council of State assessed at the end of 2024 that more measures are needed for nature restoration. »
The Council of State stated at the timesimply stated, that stricter rules should come if a company takes over emission allowances from agricultural entrepreneurs. Schiphol bought nitrogen space from three farmers, but it is unclear whether that is sufficient for a nature permit for LA.
Low -flying routes
Also the problem with the so -called low -flying routes to and from Lelystad Airport are still not resolved. Lelystad air traffic may not hinder traffic to and from Schiphol. That is why the holiday flights should fly low, under the Schiphol routes. That gives extra nuisance. The route over Lemelerveld in Overijssel in particular received a lot of attention. That route can be done technically, but with that the Problems with the low -flying routes not solvedincluding cooperating action groups against low -flying (SATL).
The probeem of the flight routes is complicated anyway. Certainly if the F-35s also have to be fitted. For several years, Air Traffic Control Netherlands (LVNL), Air Force, Ministry of Infrastructure and others involved in a revision of Dutch airspace. That puzzle is not yet laid.
Extremely displaced
The municipality and province reacted disappointed on Friday to the news that the decision on the holiday flights has been postponed again. Mayor Mieke Baltus (Lelystad) in one written response: « After waiting fifteen years, the current politics in The Hague also let themselves be known as an unreliable partner. »
The municipality is « extremely displeased and deeply indignant. » « For Lelystad, it is non -tracking and unacceptable that there will only be fighter aircraft, without socially and economic returns for the environment. »
Arjen Gerritsen, King’s Commissioner, called the postponement on Friday « Incomprehensible ». According to him, the region is « remembered economic opportunities as long as no holiday flights are allowed ». « Only under this condition can we cooperate in shared use by the Ministry of Defense. »
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