US warns retaliation over Amsterdam Schiphol's proposed flight cap

US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the Trump administration is monitoring European countries for "unjustified operational restrictions" that could breach international aviation agreements. "We are monitoring European States to ensure that they apply the balanced approach process for noise abatement at their airports and do not implement unjustified operational restrictions," he said.

Duffy cautioned that countries making unwarranted changes could face consequences similar to those experienced by Mexico when its carriers were restricted from US airspace. Washington believes any action by the Netherlands causing US carriers to lose slots at Schiphol would violate bilateral agreements.

According to Cirium's schedule data, four US carriers operate flights between major US hubs and Amsterdam Schiphol: Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and JetBlue. Delta has the largest presence with 5,580 flights scheduled this year. United follows with 1,670 flights while JetBlue and American Airlines have planned 575 and 481 flights respectively.

If the flight cap proceeds as planned, these carriers—especially Delta—could face significant impacts due to their multiple daily services to Schiphol and partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines through a transatlantic joint venture. Any retaliatory actions by the US might affect KLM’s access to American markets.

In addition, A4A argues that the planned cuts violate EU and international aviation rules since Schiphol hasn't met ICAO-endorsed 'Balanced Approach' requirements which dictate flight restrictions should only be imposed as a last resort after exploring all other noise mitigation strategies.

Industry associations including IATA have criticized Schiphol's flight cap plan stating it could disrupt passenger and cargo operations if rushed through without proper mandate or authority in place within Dutch governance structures.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines—the largest operator at Schiphol—has also urged reconsideration of these cuts citing investments made towards quieter aircraft technologies along with operational improvements seeking collaborative solutions rather than reducing access points into Netherlands’ primary international gateway.