Glare being caused by sunlight reflecting off the panels of a nearby solar farm has caused authorities at Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport (AMS) in the Netherlands to delay the lifting of restrictions on one of the airport’s main runways due to safety concerns. The runway, formally designated as runway 18R/36L but known to many as the ‘Polderbaan’, has faced daily usage restrictions since March 5, 2025, as pilots of landing aircraft reported being dazzled by glare from the panels as they attempted to land on the runway.
While the airport had hoped that the runway would have reopened by March 23, 2025, the visibility issues are continuing and are expected to do for another two weeks until April 6, 2025, when daylight savings will have taken effect and the sun will be higher from the horizon, reducing the issue to a minimum.
The visibility issues are reportedly arising from intense sunlight reflecting off thousands of solar panels at the recently constructed Groene Energie Corridor near Zwanenburg located close to the airport. Covering approximately 100 hectares, although the solar panels used were designed to feature an anti-reflective coating, the glass still produces a glare strong enough to impair pilots’ vision.
While the solar panels below the approach route to the Polderbaan Runway are outside the landing area but due to glare when the sun shines, they are hindering visibility for pilots. The position of the sun means that this effect occurs in the late morning.
The decision to extend the restrictions on the Polderbaan has been backed by Luchtverkeersleiding Nederland, the body that provides air traffic control services in the Netherlands, plus airlines KLM and easyJet, which collectively say that the measure is necessary to ensure flight safety.
“A short-term solution from the municipality is not yet available, and additional research shows that pilots will continue to experience impaired visibility due to glare over a longer period,” the parties stated in a press release. Meanwhile, authorities are working with the Haarlemmermeer municipality to find a long-term fix to the problem which is likely to continue in years to come unless a solution is found.
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Until the daylight savings time change occurs on the night of March 30/31, 2025, the Polderbaan will remain closed and unavailable to air traffic from 10:00 to 12:00 daily, the period in which pilots have reported the issue is at its most severe. After the clock changes, the closures will shift and will be imposed from 11:00 to 13:00. The disruption caused by the airport having to cut the use of one of its primary runways is forcing the airport authorities to use other more heavily used runways, with the resulting effect of increasing noise pollution for local residents who happen to live under the flight paths of those two other runways.
According to reports, while Schiphol Airport had recommended the use of specialized textured glass that absorbs rather than reflects sunlight, the developers of the solar park have claimed that such panels were not available at the time of the construction. The municipality of Haarlemmermeer and the owner of the solar park are now said to be working in consultation with the aviation sector to find a structural long-term solution to the problem.
