The decision to close parts of Dutch airspace for eight hours on Monday was ‘wrong’ and an ‘over reaction,’ says KLM CEO Peter Hartman.
Speaking at celebrations to mark 10 years of the Dutch Aviation Group, Hartman said airlines themselves should be allowed to take the decision whether or not to fly.
‘Officially it is airlines which decide when and where they will fly on the basis of information from the government and meteorological services,’ he was quoted as saying by the Volkskrant.
KLM and other airlines had once again lost millions of euros because of the airport closures, he said. ‘People do not understand what is going on any more.’
On Monday, the European airline association AEA urged European transport ministers to change the current system for dealing with air space closures.
According to the Telegraaf, some 700 people spent the night at Schiphol because of the airport’s closure on Monday.
