Heida, Stefan (2024) Taking Off or Grounded: Evaluating the Economic, Environmental and Social Impact of the Lelystad Airport Expansion. Pre-master thesis.
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Abstract
In 2015, the Dutch government decided that the regional airport of Lelystad would be expanded to relieve the mainport of Schiphol Airport. Nine years of protests and five postponements later, the future of Lelystad Airport remains uncertain. This thesis investigates the economic, environmental, and social impacts of cancelling or further postponing the expansion plans for local businesses in the province of Flevoland through discussions with key stakeholders and experts. A cancellation of the expansion will result in the loss of economic supply chain effects that are directly related to the operation of the airport. However, the size of these effects is dependent on the number of flights that the airport will accommodate, which is currently unclear. It is unlikely that the expansion will have a significant impact on the regional economy, as it will not substantially improve Flevoland's existing accessibility. Those opposed to the expansion are concerned about adverse environmental impacts, including damage to the environment, noise and light pollution, both in the immediate vicinity and in the wider area around the airport. These effects are directly related to the social impact of a decrease in living quality, which is a concern for farmers living in proximity to the airport, as well as for those residing at a greater distance. Overall, a cancellation of the expansion will lead to the loss of potential economic benefits, but will also have positive environmental and social impact. However, the extent of the impacts is dependent on the precise plans for Lelystad Airport, and thus remains uncertain. For future research, it is recommended that the issue be examined from a broader perspective, taking into account the future of Schiphol Airport, as the plans for Schiphol are closely related to those for Lelystad Airport.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Pre-master) |
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| Degree programme: | Environmental & Infrastructure Planning |
| Supervisor: | Hanna de Almeida Oliveira, P. |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Jul 2024 08:20 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Jul 2024 08:20 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4666 |
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