Dutch regional airports stay within noise limits in 2025, easing concerns for local residents
In 2025, Lelystad, Maastricht Aachen, and Rotterdam The Hague airports complied with noise regulations, reducing disturbances for nearby residents. The Dutch Civil Aviation Authority confirmed no breaches, though some flight deviations prompted warnings to airlines.
| Airport | Key Findings | Noise Compliance | Night Flights | Flight Deviations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lelystad Airport | Noise levels at enforcement points decreased. | Fully compliant | 2 (both medical helicopters) | N/A |
| Maastricht Aachen Airport | Passenger flights dropped, cargo flights rose by 19%. | Fully compliant | 1 (due to extreme weather) | 12 investigated; 7 led to warnings due to significant deviations. |
| Rotterdam The Hague Airport | Night flights decreased by 174 compared to 2024. | Fully compliant | 1,088 (64% medical emergencies); 7 investigated, all compliant. | 374 deviations; 2 led to warnings for unauthorized route changes. |
The Dutch Civil Aviation Authority (ILT-Luchtvaartautoriteit), part of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate, oversees compliance with noise regulations and operational rules at regional airports. Its role includes monitoring, enforcing sanctions, and publishing annual reports to ensure transparency and minimize noise nuisance for residents.
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Dutch Civil Aviation Authority: Regional airports remained within noise limits in 2025
For the 2025 usage year, the Dutch Civil Aviation Authority (ILT-Luchtvaartautoriteit) of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) found no breaches of noise limit values at the regional airports Lelystad Airport, Maastricht Aachen Airport, and Rotterdam The Hague Airport. This is stated in the enforcement reports published by the aviation authority today.
All Dutch regional airports and their users are subject to noise limit values and rules governing airport operations to minimize noise nuisance for local residents. Maastricht Aachen Airport and Rotterdam The Hague Airport are subject to additional rules regarding departure routes to ensure flights avoid populated areas as much as possible. The ILT-Luchtvaartautoriteit monitors compliance with these rules by airports and airlines and can impose sanctions if necessary. After each usage year (period from November 1 to October 31), the ILT-Luchtvaartautoriteit publishes an enforcement report for each airport detailing the results of its oversight.
Lelystad Airport
Lelystad Airport complied with noise standards and nighttime rules during the 2025 usage year. Noise levels at enforcement points 05 and 23 decreased. Specifically, these points accounted for 7.4% (down from 8.6% in 2024) and 8.8% (down from 25% in 2024) of the annually allocated noise space, respectively. This means the noise standards were not exceeded. There were 2 nighttime flights, both involving medical helicopters.
Maastricht Aachen Airport
Noise limit values at enforcement points around Maastricht Aachen Airport were not exceeded. During the 2025 usage year, the number of passenger flights dropped significantly compared to 2024, while cargo flights increased by 19%. There was 1 aircraft movement after 11:00 PM, which was due to extreme meteorological conditions—one of the permitted exceptions under the Implementation Regulation.
The ILT-Luchtvaartautoriteit investigated 12 flights that deviated from their departure routes. In 5 cases, the deviation was minor. The remaining 7 flights deviated so significantly that the airlines received written warnings. The cause of these route deviations was further examined. The issue appears to involve flights from general aviation, with the same deviation observed in all cases. This seems to stem from automatic flight management system activation in combination with a specific type of equipment and digital mapping. The ILT-Luchtvaartautoriteit will continue investigating this issue and explore possible source-based measures.
Rotterdam The Hague Airport
Noise standards were not exceeded at Rotterdam The Hague Airport. During the 2025 usage year, 1,088 nighttime flights were conducted at the airport, 174 fewer than in 2024. This decline is largely due to a reduction in commercial nighttime flights. Of all nighttime flights, 701 (64%) involved emergency medical services. Seven nighttime landings were further investigated; in all cases, the landings met one of the permitted exceptions under the Implementation Regulation. The airport also allows incidental use by military aircraft, with 213 military flights recorded, 4 of which occurred at night.
The ILT-Luchtvaartautoriteit examined 374 deviations from departure routes. In 2 cases, aircraft deviated from their routes without instructions from the Dutch Air Traffic Control (LVNL), prompting warning letters to the respective airlines. The remaining deviations were due to instructions from air traffic control.
State of Aviation
The key findings from the ILT-Luchtvaartautoriteit’s oversight will also be included in the State of Aviation report, which will be submitted to the House of Representatives by the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management in the first half of 2026.