Pro Brabant proposes to scrap all flights from Eindhoven Airport to and from London

Pro Brabant, a party with a chance of becoming the largest force in Noord-Brabant’s Provincial Council after March elections, is proposing to scrap all flights shorter than 500 kilometers from Eindhoven Airport. This means that of the airport’s 76 destinations, the popular London route would be the only one eliminated, AD reports.

Pro Brabant included the proposal in its election program ahead of March elections. Lead candidate Jade van der Linden said short-haul flights should be scrapped because the distances can be covered by train. There are no direct trains from Eindhoven to London.

The airport route carries nearly 300,000 passengers a year and has ranked among the airport’s busiest for years. An airport spokesperson told AD that the connection is important for the Brainport region and is also increasingly being used by those coming from the U.K. to the Netherlands.

"Isn't it ridiculous that you fly distances that can easily be covered by train? You simply shouldn’t do that anymore," van der Linden said about the proposal. She added that the province, as a shareholder, should push for fewer emissions and less noise pollution from the airport.

Travelers currently fly the route in about one hour at relatively low fares. One-way tickets often cost from around 13 to 20 euros, with Ryanair regularly advertising 15.99-euro tickets. Some deals cost more, but often around 30 euros. Return flights are usually more expensive, reaching 70 to 130 euros, depending on dates and how early in advance a flight is booked.

The city of Eindhoven and the province of Noord-Brabant both hold 24.5 percent of the airport, while Schiphol Group owns the remaining 51 percent. Pro is the largest coalition party on the Eindhoven city council, which has long opposed the airport's expansion.

The proposal builds on earlier provincial research into the airport’s societal value, which examined scenarios for growth, reduction and full closure. Provincial executive Stijn Smeulders, who has since joined Pro after leaving the PvdA, defended including the closure option to strengthen the study’s credibility. He said at the time that the province was not seeking the airport’s closure.