The discussions within the consultation platform on Zaventem airport did not lead to a consensus. This is according to the final report of the platform, which included representation from residents, municipalities, Brussels Airport, trade unions, and governments. Meanwhile, the bill the Belgian government must pay victims of noise pollution for overflying aircraft is running into millions.

The consultation platform was established after a 2018 verdict. A judge did oblige to organize a ‘States General’ of the airport to reduce the nuisance around the airport. Between September 2021 and June 2023, the 80 or so members met nine times.

Stalemate

But despite the discussions and proposals, the report now states that the aviation sector is defending its business model based on the growth of activities, the need to operate 24 hours a day, and the opportunities offered by technological developments.

“The discussions with the platform have not helped to reconcile these positions,” it concludes. “It is now more than ever the responsibility of politicians to take action.”

Missed opportunity

Brussels Airport speaks of a “disappointment” and a “missed opportunity”. “The platform was unevenly composed, with a strong under-representation of the aviation sector versus municipalities and residents’ associations,” says spokesperson Nathalie Pierard. “Also, crucial elements, such as flight routes, were not discussed.”

On the other side of the table were municipal councils, such as those from Wemmel, which want to limit the number of flights. Mayor Walter Vansteenkiste (LB Wemmel) considers the result “sad”. “There was no real consultation. The positions of all parties, which we already knew, were simply juxtaposed without seeking rapprochement.”

Solution in September?

Federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo), on the other hand, thinks the platform had its merits. “It is the first time we have brought everyone around the table in a dossier that has been dragging on for 30 years and where there are hugely divergent views. Even if no agreement has been found, the platform has brought calm, clarity, and objectivity.”

The Minister will “shortly” put proposals on the federal government table regarding the issue. A proposal for an overall legal framework for the entire airport is expected by September.

In July last year, the Flemish government also did not agree with the environmental impact study about the noise nuisance of Brussels Airport.

More than €24 million in fines

In June, the court of first instance in Brussels agreed with the region’s request to increase fines for aircraft noise. The fine rises from 10 000 to 12 000 euros for exceeding the noise limit by five decibels. The upper limit per flight route rises from 5 million to 7 million euros.

According to Gilkinet, airplane nuisance has cost the federal government more than 24 million euros in penalties and lawyers since 2015. Apart from the Brussels Region, the federal government also pays fines to five Flemish municipalities from the northern periphery.

They are all victims of excessive aircraft noise, the result of modified flight routes introduced without any legal basis, such as, for example, an environmental impact study.

A recent study by Bond Beter Leefmilieu shows that some 220 000 people living near Brussels Airport are strongly inconvenienced by aircraft noise: strong disruption of sleep, increased risk of hypertension, and heart disease.