Changes in the Risk Management Process in the Dutch Aviation Sector: The Case of the Mainport Schiphol. Tanja C. Abbas and Hans A. de Bruijn, School of Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis, and Management, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5015, 2600 GA Delft, Netherlands
The aviation industry has experienced some turbulent developments in the last decade, and it probably will continue to do so in the future. Increasing internationalization and the development of a common European aviation market will cause a concentration of intercontinental air traffic at a few European airports, called mainports. In order to retain the strong market position of its national airport Schiphol, the Dutch government decided in 1988 to extend Schiphol to one of the mainports of Europe. Such a large infrastructure project is obviously in conflict with environmental concerns, such as noise pollution, air pollution, and the safety risks of people living near the airport. Consequently, a special interest group has been established, "mainport and environment Schiphol," to promote the acceptance of the planned extension of Schiphol. They formulated a ‘double goal’: the extension of Schiphol with a fifth runway should not go at the cost of the environment, in fact, the environment should even improve. For this purpose, safety and environmental issues have been defined in quantitative terms, as part of a long-term sustainable development. (First paragraph of abstract only, shortened by Secretariat.)