Some 3,000 households living close to Schiphol airport are to get compensation for the excess noise they were subjected to between 2017 and 2019, the infrastructure ministry has told broadcaster NOS.

Most of them will get between €50 and €2,200 but some will get more, NOS said. 

The ministry said in April it would compensate locals and said at the time it expected 4,600 households would qualify. However, 1,600 people failed to apply for the cash. 

The compensation deal followed on from a 2020 court case about noise at the airport, which exceeded official limits and was ignored by the authorities. 

Alfred Blokhuizen from campaign group Schiphol Watch told NOS that many people could not be bothered with all the paperwork “for a few euro”. 

“People are becoming tired of the government,” he said. “What’s the point? Look at the childcare benefit scandal – that only made people more fed up and mistrustful.”

Transport inspectors will start taking action against excessive noise from next year when rules restricting the airport to 460,000 take offs and landings per year come into effect.