Budget carrier Easyjet said it is employing quieter and larger aircraft on flights to and from Schiphol to enable its growth at the Amsterdam airport.  

Easyjet chief Johan Lundgren said quieter aircraft can be a means to facilitate growth at airports like Schiphol which are approaching full capacity, the Telegraaf has reported. Schiphol has an effective freeze on the number of aircraft movements at an annual 500,000 until 2020.

Easyjet began operating the Airbus A321 at Schiphol on Wednesday. The plane is 50% quieter and has 49 more seats than its predecessor.  The A321 will be deployed on Easyjet’s busiest routes such as Schiphol-London. Schiphol is Easyjet’s busiest base outside Britain.

The Dutch government is now working out what will happen at Schiphol after 2020. Lundgren, a Swedish national who has been at the helm of Easyjet since last winter, believes airlines flying cleaner aircraft should be awarded additional landings and takeoffs.