Flights will be capped at 452,500 per year, Harbers said, 9.5% below 2019 levels and lower than a previous proposal of 460,000. Airlines that use Schiphol including Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) have sued to try to prevent the cap at one of Europe's busiest airports. The decision is "arbitrary, ill-thought out and undercuts procedures normally used," said Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of industry group Airlines For Europe (A4E). Airlines opposed to the ban are appealing to the Dutch Supreme Court after losing an appeal in July. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which supports the airlines' case, on Thursday told the Dutch caretaker government not to proceed ahead of a national election in November.

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Persons: Yves Herman, Mark Harbers, Harbers, Ourania Georgoutsakou, Mark Rutte, Toby Sterling, Mark Potter Organizations: KLM, REUTERS, Rights, Aviation, European Commission, Airlines, Air France, Europe, Dutch, International Air Transport Association, U.S . Department of Transport, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, Schiphol