Schiphol’s response to the government’s plans – Prinsjesdag 2026

The Dutch government has just announced its plans for the coming year. These include two important decisions for Schiphol. First, the government has announced its intention to establish a fund to accelerate the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Second, it has decided to bring the air passenger tax for the longest flights into line with the rate in Germany. Below we outline our response to both measures.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Schiphol aims to accelerate the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). To this end, we are working together with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management on a new SAF fund. For the period 2027–2029, Schiphol and the Ministry intend to make a total of €90 million available. The fund will encourage airlines to increase their use of SAF, contributing to the sustainability of the aviation sector and supporting the Netherlands’ ambition to reduce CO₂ emissions from aviation. The fund is still subject to approval by the European Commission.

Level playing field

In addition to the decision on the SAF fund, the government has also decided to align the air passenger tax for the longest flights with the rate in Germany. Schiphol supports this decision. As a small country with a strong aviation sector, the Netherlands has developed into an international hub, supporting businesses, jobs and opportunities. We want to preserve that. This requires us to remain mindful of our competitive position, with predictable government policy and a level playing field within Europe. The government's decision to align the air passenger tax for the longest flights with Germany’s contributes to these objectives.