Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST), located in the south of the Netherlands, has proposed a ban on older Boeing 747s as it looks to catalyze the renewal of widebody cargo fleets. In particular, it targets aircraft that cause the most annoyance to local residents when it comes to noise pollution.
Bans for some, surcharges for others
According to Aviation24.be, the ban would come into place in April 2023, after which the Boeing 747-200 would be prohibited from using the Dutch airport. Also barred from the facility would be the McDonnell Douglas MD-11. This follows a similar move in Israel, where quadjets will be banned next year. Maastricht only sees short-haul passenger flights, but widebodies bring cargo to the airport.
While this move wouldn't represent a blanket ban for the Boeing 747 family, the airport still wants to discourage the usage of other models. For this reason, it has proposed the implementation of a tax increase of (at least) 100% for operators flying the 747-400 model to and from the facility. Aviation24.be notes that, according to Jos Roeven, the CEO of Maastricht Aachen Airport:
"As a relatively small regional airport, (...) we are ahead of the market and the natural phasing out of these aircraft types. These measures have a direct effect on noise pollution and on the income of Maastricht Aachen Airport. For example, due to the early phasing out of [the] 747-200, two regular flights per week will be canceled."
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Worth the financial penalty
In addition to implementing a significant surcharge for users of the Boeing 747-400, Maastricht Aachen's proposal will eventually result in this variant being banned too. However, with this not planned to come into place until 2030, operators will have a good deal of time to modernize their fleets in the intervening period.
Of course, with the ban on the 747-200 and MD-11 resulting in canceled flights, Maastricht Aachen Airport does stand to lose a slice of its revenue. However, Roeven has made it clear that his facility will put the environmental benefits first, stating:
"It’s about a tonne of income that we’re missing, that’s a substantial part of our income. Nevertheless, we support these measures. We want to be an environmentally aware airport. Here, we let the importance of the environment outweigh the economic importance."
747 incidents involving Maastricht
The airport's decision is driven by environmental reasons rather than on the grounds of safety. Nonetheless, it is interesting to note that there have been multiple incidents involving the Boeing 747 at Maastricht Aachen. For example, as seen above, a Cargolux 747-400F got its nose gear stuck in the mud in 2009 after veering off a taxiway. According to the Aviation Herald, it had just landed from Nairobi.
Meanwhile, in more recent years, you may remember that, in February 2021, a Longtail 747-400F lost components after suffering an engine failure following its departure from Maastricht. These rained down on a nearby village, damaging cars and property. The jet subsequently diverted to Liège Airport (LGG) in Belgium.
What do you make of Maastricht Aachen Airport's proposals? Should more airports take such action? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
Sources: Aviation24.be, Aviation Herald