Dutch law imposes strict noise limits in the form of Kosten units (Ke), which express aircraft noise on an annual basis. The Ke measure is weighted according to aircraft type and time of day. Night flights count 10 times more heavily than day operations.
Schiphol's 1998 Runway Operations Plan aims to keep the airport within the limits.
* Restricted runway use between 2100 and 0700.
* Use of reduced flap settings during approach by KLM B737s and B747s.
* IATA take-off procedure used by KLM aircraft.
* Modification of the engine nacelles of Dutch B737s to reduce noise.
* Compliance with scheduled times
* Continued operational restrictions on Chapter II/Stage 2 aircraft and marginal Chapter III/Stage 3 aircraft.
* Increase of noise surcharges on Chapter II/Stage 2 aircraft from 1 April 1998.
* Landing fees to depend on noise and time of day rather than weight, as of 1 April 1998.
* Full availability of all runways limited to 0700-2100. Only two runways will be available outside this period.
* Evening delays will result in a higher time penalty for the flight. The same applies in reverse to early arrivals or departures before 0800.
* The average number of houses that suffer from nightly noise of 26dB over the entire year will decrease in 1998 from 8,650 to 7,900.
Source: Airline Business
