Dutch Court Orders Prompt Decision on Lelystad Airport Nature Permit

The Dutch cabinet has been ordered by a court in Arnhem to decide by mid‑December on a nature permit for Lelystad Airport. The judge gave the agriculture and nature minister, Jaimi van Essen, 21 weeks to rule, finding the delay to be “unnecessarily long.” Lelystad Airport applied for the permit more than six years ago and seeks to open for holiday flights, but operation without a valid permit is not possible. Environmental group Red de Veluwe filed a lawsuit to force the decision, arguing that the ministry must demonstrate compliance with nature rules amid nitrogen and noise concerns. The government had earlier planned to open the airport in the autumn of 2027 and pledged in the coalition agreement to allow up to 10,000 flights per year.