The glare from the solar panel park De Groene Energie Corridor near the Polderbaan of Schiphol poses a risk to flight safety, particularly during the final, most critical phase of landing. At a certain sun angle, the glare can blind pilots. This occurred earlier this year, and this risk may arise again in August. To prevent this, the aviation authority of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT Aviation Authority) has submitted an enforcement request to the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. The ILT Aviation Authority is also asking the municipality to revoke the environmental permit issued for the construction of the solar panel park.
Closure of Polderbaan
The ILT Aviation Authority can only take enforcement action towards Schiphol based on aviation safety regulations. In February 2025, it reminded Schiphol of its responsibility to ensure flight safety. As a precautionary measure, Schiphol temporarily closed the Polderbaan. Temporarily closing the Polderbaan again is not a desirable option. The Polderbaan is the most used runway due to its location, as it generates the least noise disturbance and air traffic for that runway generally results in fewer conflicts with other air traffic to and from Schiphol.
Violation of Duty of Care
Since discussions between the parties involved have not yet led to a solution, the ILT Aviation Authority is now submitting an enforcement request to the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. Additionally, Haarlemmermeer is asked to revoke the environmental permit issued for the construction of the solar park. The municipality is the competent authority for supervising and enforcing the Environmental Act. According to the ILT Aviation Authority, there is a violation of the duty of care: anyone who knows or can reasonably suspect that the condition of a structure poses a danger to health or safety is obliged to take all measures that can reasonably be required to prevent or not allow that danger to continue (art. 3.5 of the Decision on Building Environment).
Information Sheet for Municipalities and Provinces
The ILT Aviation Authority is working on an information sheet regarding the risks of solar panel parks near airports and how to handle applications for installing solar panels on and near airports. The goal is to increase awareness and knowledge among stakeholders, such as provinces and municipalities, and to prevent situations like the one at Schiphol in the future.