Maastricht-Aachen Airport in the Netherlands does not play a major role in passenger traffic, but it is served by many cargo airlines. Now the operator wants to react to aircraft noise complaints and ban older models. It could also soon become more expensive for many operators.

Israel was taken as a model, because the state wants to ban four-engine aircraft. Boeing 747 and Co should only be allowed to head for the small state with a special permit. In Maastricht it shouldn't be quite as extreme, but older Boeing 747 series will no longer be on site in the future. Should the plans go ahead, the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 used by many cargo providers would also be affected.

Since there are no long-haul passenger flights from the Dutch airport anyway, the planned changes to the noise regulations will almost exclusively affect the cargo providers. At the same time, freight is the most important mainstay of the regional airport. Maintenance and painting work also play a significant role.

It is currently impossible for all four-radiators to be banned. The airport wants to ensure that the cargo airlines use modern series that are considered to be less noisy. However, operators for the Boeing 747-400 should have to pay a surcharge of 100 percent. The 200 series would be banned. The same would also apply to the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and MD-11.

The project is to be implemented step by step by 2030. Since Maastricht is also "playing" with the main source of income, it is to be expected that one will proceed extremely cautiously. Furthermore, an official permit must be obtained from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Netherlands. This has not yet been applied for and it is completely open how this will be decided. One or the other cargo carrier could also relocate the connections to another airport, so that there will only be a shift in aircraft noise. Due to high fuel costs, many providers are investing in modernizing their fleets, so that those models that Maastricht-Aachen wants to ban could be gone from the sky by 2030 for economic reasons.