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WORLD NEWS Thursday 6 april 2023

Dutch court nixes plan to reduce flights at Schiphol Airport

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press
THE HAGUE, Netherlands
(AP) — A judge ruled
Wednesday that the Dutch
government cannot or-
der Amsterdam’s Schiphol
Airport, one of Europe’s
busiest aviation hubs, to re-
duce the number of flights
from 500,000 per year to
460,000, dealing a blow to
efforts to cut emissions and
noise pollution.
The ruling came in a sum-
mary case brought by air-
lines and civil aviation or-
ganizations led by Dutch
carrier KLM that sought to
halt the planned cuts un- Travelers wait in long lines outside the terminal building to check in and board flights at Amsterdam’s
veiled last year. Schiphol Airport, Netherlands, on June 21, 2022.
The decision by a judge Associated Press
in Haarlem, a city close to
Schiphol, came a day af- flights ... to 460,000,” the ing the ruling and consider- across the world — some-
ter the airport announced court in Haarlem said in ing its next steps. thing we have demon-
plans to phase out all flights a statement. In response, The ministry said in a writ- strated through a vigorous
between midnight and 5 KLM said it plans measures ten reaction that it is “striv- commitment to fleet re-
a.m., ban private jets and that offer “a better alterna- ing to find a new balance newal and other practices
the noisiest planes, and tive for achieving less noise between the interests of to help decarbonize our
abandon a project for an and CO2 while meeting residents and the living en- operations and reduce
additional runway. travelers’ need to fly.” vironment on the one hand noise,” Peter Carter, Delta’s
The judge ruled that the The airline said it would ex- and the economic impor- executive vice president
Dutch government did plain its approach in the tance of Schiphol for the for external affairs, said.
not follow the correct pro- next phase of the case. Netherlands on the other.” International Air Transport
cedure when it called on “This will investigate wheth- U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines Association Director Gen-
Schiphol to reduce flight er noise levels can be re- welcomed the ruling, eral Willie Walsh said the
numbers, a decision that duced around Schiphol saying it safeguarded judge “understood that
was hailed last year as a using methods other than Schiphol’s future. the Dutch government vio-
breakthrough by environ- those envisaged by the “Delta believes that it is lated its obligations in short-
mental groups. Wednes- ministry,” KLM said. possible to balance sus- cutting processes that
day’s decision means that The government ministry re- tainability priorities with would bring scrutiny to its
Schiphol “may not reduce sponsible for aviation infra- passengers’ desire to travel desire to cut flight numbers
the maximum number of structure said it was study- and connect with people at Schiphol.” q

Brazil man kills 4 children with hatchet at daycare center

By DAVID BILLER and jumped over a wall and thorities said. Cantinho do Bom Pastor.
LAÍS MARTINS invaded a daycare center The assailant turned himself The attack took place on
Associated Press Wednesday in Brazil, killing in at a police station and the center’s playground,
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — four children and wound- did not appear to have according to the local af-
A man with a hatchet ing at least five others, au- any connection with the filiate of television network
center, which offers nursery Globo. NSC, the affiliate,
services, preschool educa- showed a photo of the sus-
tion and after-school ac- pect with a closely shaved
tivities. The dead were be- head. Police have yet to
tween the ages of 5 and 7, confirm his identity.
authorities said. Blumenau’s mayor, Mário
Authorities were search- Hildebrandt, suspended
ing for a motive, the police classes and said he will de-
detective leading the in- clare a 30-day mourning
vestigation, Ronnie Esteves, period. The state govern-
told television reporters in ment said in a statement
Blumenau, a city in south- that rumors circulating on
ern Brazil, near the Atlantic social media of other po-
coast. tential attacks were false.
An ambulance is parked outside the private daycare center Images broadcast on net- The mayor said five wound-
“Cantinho do Bom Pastor” after a fatal attack on children in works showed weeping ed children were take to
Blumenau, Santa Catarina state, Brazil, Wednesday, April 5, parents outside the private hospitals. One was in seri-
2023. daycare center called ous condition.q
Associated Press