The Dutch Shippers Council, EVO, has called for freighter flights to be exempted from government plans to block new landing rights for Middle East carriers, reports Lloyd's Loading List.

In March, the European Commission said it would address French and German concerns over what they see as unfair subsidies to Arab Gulf carriers.

The French and German governments have proposed that Gulf carriers should not be granted additional traffic rights until fair competition is ensured.

European airlines have voiced concern that Gulf carriers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways and Eithad Airways, have increased their market share through state subsidies.

The Dutch government to plans to freeze the landing rights of Middle East carriers, reports the Dutch Financieele Dagblad newspaper,

Said Junior Transport Minister Wilma Mansveld: "We want, together with my European colleagues, to take a tougher approach to the rise of airlines in the Middle East."

But EVO air freight chief Joost van Doesburg said the "protectionist" measure would damage the Netherlands' position as a major distribution hub in Europe.

"The number of cargo flights to and from the Netherlands has shrunk considerably in recent years and there are already too few cargo flights from Schiphol," said Mr van Doesburg.

Because of this, he said, shippers now had to truck cargo to rival airports such as Brussels, Frankfurt, Liege and Luxembourg.

The trend had now spread beyond Dutch shippers, he said. Also at risk, he said, was the large number of Asian companies and US that have distribution centres in the Netherlands.

"From 2016, Air France-KLM will only have three freighters in operation where previously they had nine," said Mr van Doesburg.

"We are, therefore, requesting that the block on new landing rights to Middle East airlines does not extend to all-cargo flights," he said.