(Reuters) - The European Commission on Monday said it would have intervened if the Dutch government had denied slots at Schiphol airport to new entrants such as U.S. carrier JetBlue but was now satisfied that passengers would not be deprived of choice.
The commission said new entrants on transatlantic routes such as Amsterdam-New York were needed to offset the distorting effects on competition by airlines that combine their routes in joint ventures.
Under initial Dutch plans to cut capacity at Schiphol, one of Europe's busiest hubs, new entrants including JetBlue would have lost all their slots.
Facing pressure from both the U.S. and the EU, the Netherlands in November gave up on that plan and earlier this year announced Schiphol would meet industry demand.
The plan was part of a push to cut noise pollution around the airport.
The EU had already voiced doubts whether the plans were in line with its regulations and EU-U.S. agreements, and on Monday said it would not have allowed JetBlue's Schiphol operation to be shut down completely.
"The commission stood ready to intervene with interim measures in case JetBlue did not secure appropriate access to Amsterdam airport for the Summer 2024 Season," it said in a statement.
JetBlue began flying from Schiphol to New York and Boston last year, and the EU commission said it had now obtained all the slots it needed in Amsterdam to continue operating this year.
"As a result, consumers will not be deprived of choice at a time of strong demand for transatlantic services," it said.
"The commission will continue its monitoring ahead of the Summer 2025 Season."