February 17, 2026
King Liu, founder of Taiwanese bicycle brand Giant, passed away yesterday at the age of 91. Liu founded Giant in 1972 and built his small business into the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer, producing more than 6 million bicycles per year at its peak. Liu was also passionate about bicycle culture, even though he himself had […]
February 16, 2026
The pre-metro tunnel in Antwerp between the Right and Left Banks of the river Scheldt will close for renovation on May 4. The work, which is urgently needed after years of underinvestment, is expected to last until the end of March 2027, which is 11 months. Some sections of the pre-metro tunnel are now more […]
February 16, 2026
Drunk drivers will now be punished in the same way throughout Belgium. Anyone caught driving with a blood alcohol level of more than 0.8% will have their driver’s license suspended for 15 days on the spot. Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) has signed a circular letter to this effect, which takes effect immediately and […]
February 13, 2026
As of today, Brussels Airlines has two Tintin aircraft in service, though this will be temporary. The airline is introducing a new themed aircraft based entirely on the characters from the famous comic series by artist Hergé. The first Tintin aircraft, which was also Brussels Airlines’ very first themed aircraft in 2015, will be removed […]
February 12, 2026
One in five Walloons is unaware of the minimum medical standards required to drive a vehicle. This is according to a survey by the Walloon Road Safety Agency (AWSR). The agency is using the results to launch a campaign on fitness to drive based on health, an essential but often overlooked aspect of road safety. […]
February 11, 2026
The demolition permit for two cooling towers at the nuclear power plant in Tihange, near Huy in the province of Liège, has been suspended following an appeal. Operator Engie wants to proceed quickly with the dismantling. Still, the federal government and Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet (MR) are reluctant to allow it because they want to […]
February 11, 2026
Lufthansa pilots and cabin crew will walk out tomorrow due to a wage dispute and working conditions. The strike will affect all Lufthansa flights and those operated by its cargo division, Lufthansa Cargo, departing from Germany. The exact extent of the cancellations is still unclear, but passengers should expect flight cancellations and delays in any […]
February 10, 2026
The frequent use of a new flight path has meant that 450,000 Brussels residents in the municipalities of Koekelberg, Schaerbeek, and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean have been subjected to intensive overflights since the summer. The Mayors concerned had an initial, disappointing meeting on the issue with Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés). However, the latter has since […]
February 09, 2026
Mobility organization Touring has never been a fervent supporter of low-emission zones (LEZ). While in Flanders, for example, a coalition of environmental associations has gone to the Council of State to challenge the freezing of LEZ in Antwerp and Ghent, Touring says that the freezing of LEZ is a good thing in the long run. […]
February 09, 2026
Flemish families who purchase a heat pump can count on a subsidy of up to 8,000 euros. They can also take out a low-interest or, in some cases, interest-free renovation loan to purchase a heat pump. Because electricity is now four times as expensive as gas, the Flemish government will also implement an energy tax […]
January 30, 2026
Traffic manslaughter is now a criminal offense in Belgium. The Chamber has given the green light for this. Previously, fatal accidents were usually classified as ‘unintentional homicide’. The new legislation, based on a bill drafted by Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden (CD&V), now makes vehicular homicide a separate crime with significantly increased penalties. The call for […]
January 30, 2026
In 2025, Belgium’s FPS Finance collected 646.4 million euros in fines. This represents an increase of 22.4 million euros compared to 2024. Traffic violations account for most of these cases. The increase is due to more efficient collection, as well as rate increases and the explosive growth of cameras along Belgian roads. Most of the money […]
January 30, 2026
Belgian Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet (MR) has defended himself in parliament against criticism that he is not taking enough action on nuclear issues. Nothing concrete came of it, but according to Bihet, discussions are underway with operators and owners of nuclear power plants, and there are investors “interested in extending the maximum number of reactors, […]
January 29, 2026
In Wallonia, there are an average of 32 secondary accidents per year, resulting in 57 victims, including 3 fatalities. A secondary accident occurs when other road users collide with the scene of a crash or with people involved, such as drivers who get out of their cars, witnesses, or emergency responders. In a campaign, the […]
January 29, 2026
Ghent-based Joule, a subsidiary of the Brussels-based holding company D’Ieteren, is now the exclusive bicycle leasing company for the federal government. By winning the public tender, it will have the opportunity to lease bicycles to some 70,000 federal servants. This is the first time that bicycle leasing has been rolled out on such a large […]
January 27, 2026
Irish budget airline Ryanair saw its profits fall by no less than 80% last quarter due to a fine of more than 255 million euros imposed by the Italian competition authority in December. Profit after tax amounted to 30 million euros in the three months to the end of December. A year earlier, profits stood […]
January 26, 2026
The company car system in Belgium is a unique phenomenon. And although the system is popular with users, it also attracts significant criticism, partly because it costs 4 billion euros a year. Brussels Groen leader and Brussels Minister of Mobility Elke Van den Brandt wants this tax money used to fund train passes costing €12 […]
January 26, 2026
Throughout the week, fewer trains than usual will be running in Belgium due to a new five-day rail strike that began on Sunday evening. The national solidarity action in Brussels against the socio-economic policy of the current Arizona coalition government may also disrupt various bus, tram, and metro lines operated by De Lijn in Flanders, MIVB/STIB […]
January 23, 2026
It’s not a title to be proud of, and certainly not something to boast about to visitors or travelers, but of the approximately 140 major train stations in Belgium, Genk remains the least punctual. The Limburg station is also the only one where, on average, more than two in ten trains were delayed by at […]
January 23, 2026
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn is deploying two autonomous shuttles in Leuven (Louvain). They will operate on line 16, the new line connecting the train station with the station and the borough of Heverlee. According to De Lijn, this is a European first for a public transport company. The Leuven-Heverlee route is approximately 4 […]
January 22, 2026
A recent study by the American investment bank Jefferies estimates that the four largest American Airlines could save as much as 580 million dollars per year in fuel costs if passengers weighed less. The study approaches the weight issue from a surprising angle, namely the impact of rheumatoid arthritis on often controversial weight loss drugs […]
January 22, 2026
The Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB is launching Mobi 2.0, its updated AI chatbot. The virtual assistant is designed to help train passengers with questions about their journey 24/7. According to NMBS/SNCB, the revamped virtual assistant answers 90% of all questions correctly. The railway company says that it is one of the first large-scale GenAI […]
January 21, 2026
Since the end of last year, passengers with reduced mobility have been able to request assistance at 24 additional NMBS/SNCB-operated stations. This brings the number of stations where this is possible to 174, or approximately one in three, as NMBS/SNCB manages around 555 train stations in Belgium. The stations concerned are Aalter, Antwerp-Luchtbal, Arcaden, Barvaux, […]
January 21, 2026
There is currently a remarkable mudslinging match going on between Starlink and Tesla owner Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, and Michael O’Leary, the CEO of Ryanair. What began as a business discussion about Wi-Fi on board airplanes has escalated into personal insults and even a laconic threat from Musk to buy Ryanair. […]
January 20, 2026
Last year, Brussels Mobility counted approximately 12% more cyclists on cycle paths in the Brussels Capital Region. The increase is greatest on weekdays, at +13%, which drops to +7% at weekends. Meanwhile, cyclists and e-scooter riders are also anxiously awaiting the ban on bicycles and e-scooters in the Anspachlaan/Boulevard Anspach pedestrian zone, which is awaiting political […]
January 20, 2026
French railway company SNCF has ordered 15 new high-speed trains from train manufacturer Alstom. The additional trains will be used to expand services between France and Belgium, particularly between major French cities and Brussels. The order is worth 600 million euros. Alstom’s Avelia Horizon very high-speed train is the only double-decker train in the world capable […]
January 19, 2026
Military vehicle manufacturer Arquus and German truck manufacturer Daimler Trucks have secured a contract to supply 7,000 trucks to the French Army. This was announced by Belgian engineering group John Cockerill, which has owned French company Arquus since 2024. According to several French media outlets, the contract is worth approximately 2 billion euros. The order is […]
January 19, 2026
Spanish train manufacturer CAF wants to collaborate with Alstom in Bruges to build trainsets for NMBS/SNCB. Alstom lost the contract and unsuccessfully challenged that decision before the Council of State. Trade unions at Alstom Bruges feared that losing the contract would spell the end of the factory. The collaboration between CAF and Alstom Bruges comes […]
January 16, 2026
Almost one in ten children under 1.35 meters tall are not consistently secured in their car seats. Of the children who are secured, not all are in a child seat. In addition, one in five children keeps their coats on in their car seats in winter. This is according to a new study by the […]
January 15, 2026
The Lufthansa Group, including its subsidiary Brussels Airlines, is tightening the rules for power banks on board flights. For example, they may no longer be used to charge devices, and storing them in the overhead compartment above the seats is also prohibited. The tightening of the rules is due to an increase in fire incidents […]
January 14, 2026
Eurostar’s high-speed trains carried a record 20 million passengers last year. By investing in new trains and routes, the high-speed train operator, which currently has a monopoly on passenger transport through the Channel Tunnel, aims to reach 30 million passengers in the long term. Compared with 2024, passenger numbers increased by half a million, or just […]
January 14, 2026
The Lufthansa Group, which includes Brussels Airlines, will offer free, high-speed Wi-Fi on its approximately 850 aircraft starting in the second half of 2026. It will do so using the Starlink satellite network from SpaceX, the American space company owned by billionaire Elon Musk. The collaboration with Starlink applies to the entire Lufthansa Group, which also […]
January 13, 2026
Swiss company Stromer, which has been the market leader in speed pedelecs in the Netherlands and Belgium for many years, has recalled approximately 6,500 devices. The speed pedelecs are equipped with a WREN brand suspension fork, but they have a safety issue. A risk of metal fatigue has been identified in the steering tube of the […]
January 13, 2026
After Diamant, Maalbeek/Maelbeek, Stokkel/Stockel, and Ossegem/Osseghem, Brussels metro stations Delta and Herrmann-Debroux on line 5 in Oudergem are also getting a facelift this year. The work is part of Brussels Mobility’s Refresh program. With the Refresh program, Brussels Mobility aims to quickly improve user comfort through targeted interventions, without waiting for a complete renovation. The […]
January 12, 2026
Engie must set aside an additional 3 billion euros to finance the dismantling of nuclear power plants. This is according to a report by Niras, the national institution for radioactive waste, as reported by De Tijd and L’Echo. The French energy company, which operates the seven nuclear power plants in Belgium, has agreed with the […]
January 12, 2026
The French-speaking liberal MR faction in the Brussels Parliament has proposed a measure to significantly reduce fines for violations of the low-emission zone (LEZ) in the capital. The MR strongly opposes what it calls ‘punitive ecology’. It wants to reduce LEZ fines from €350 to €15. This would immediately remove the big stick for owners […]
January 10, 2026
Belgian railway network operator Infrabel is launching Impulse Belgium, a start-up laboratory, according to the business newspaper De Tijd. Through this internal innovation unit, Infrabel aims to focus on projects that enhance the network’s efficiency and safety. Two projects are being put forward: opening their electricity grid to third parties and using AI for railway maintenance. […]
January 10, 2026
There has been unrest for some time at the Dumarey factory in Strasbourg, which manufactures car gearboxes. The union protest is set to grow now that West Flemish businessman Guido Dumarey has announced plans to close the factory in Alsace, France, before the end of this year. The closure could result in the loss of […]
January 08, 2026
The French energy company Engie, which also operates in Belgium, has obtained a permit to demolish the cooling tower of the Tihange 1 nuclear power plant. It wants to start dismantling it in September. This undermines the plans of Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet (MR), who wants to restart the plant and negotiate an additional 10-year […]
January 08, 2026
Now that many long-term unemployed people in Belgium are losing their allowance, the bus and coach sector is calling on them to become bus drivers. The industry is facing a severe staff shortage and has 530 vacancies. The 374 companies in the sector, united in the FBAA sector federation, are even willing to finance the training. […]
January 07, 2026
Lufthansa, founded on January 6, 1926, as “Luft Hansa,” celebrates its 100th anniversary today. The history of the German airline is almost as turbulent as aviation itself. From a technological pioneer in the 1920s to an active role during the Nazi regime, Lufthansa grew into Europe’s largest airline group, at least in terms of revenue. […]
January 06, 2026
During the first six months of last year, 5,028,562 traffic violations were recorded by the federal police in Belgium. This is an absolute record, as it is more than 436,000 more than in the same period two years ago. Compared to 2017, this is even double the number. Almost 4.2 million of the traffic violations […]
January 06, 2026
Brussels Airport has experienced substantial growth in the intercontinental segment over the past few years. According to the business newspaper L’Echo, the share of so-called ‘long-haul’ flights rose by more than 11%. This growth is the result of a deliberate strategy to strengthen Brussels as an international hub. From Africa to North and Latin America […]
January 05, 2026
Belgians are increasingly using bicycles for their journeys, including commuting. This trend is confirmed by various mobility barometers and surveys in both Flanders and Wallonia. For the first time, more than half of Flemish people regularly cycle to work. Wallonia lags in this area, but even there, we observe that, for the first time, 6% […]
January 05, 2026
Starting the new year with fireworks? For many people, it is a tradition they would like to maintain. From next year, consumer fireworks will no longer be allowed in the Netherlands, and many Belgian municipalities and cities are also banning them. Every year, there are hundreds of victims, and the damage to houses and cars […]
December 30, 2025
From now on, anyone in France who exceeds the speed limit by 50 km/h or more will no longer receive a simple fine but will be immediately summoned to appear before the criminal court. Just as they would for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they could face a fine of up to […]
December 29, 2025
In 2025, 2,395 flights were canceled due to strikes at Brussels Airport. The seven-day national union action affected more than 330,000 travelers. According to the airport, these actions cost the Belgian economy approximately 175 million euros. Brussels Airlines says that these seven days of national union action “should not be repeated” in 2026. “We call […]
December 29, 2025
From January 1, the low-emission zone (LEZ) in the Brussels-Capital Region will be tightened. Diesel vehicles with Euro 5 standards and gasoline vehicles with Euro 2 standards will no longer be allowed to enter. Brussels car dealers are noticing this tightening, writes BRUZZ. For example, the banned Euro 5 diesels have become a lot cheaper […]
December 23, 2025
Starting next year, fare evaders on the Flemish public transport company De Lijn will pay €127 for a first offense, up from €107 currently. This is the first time in more than ten years that the fines have been increased. More than 2.1 million De Lijn passengers have already been checked this year. On average, […]
December 22, 2025
As widely expected, the board of directors of Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB has placed its first order for 180 railcars with the controversial Spanish train manufacturer CAF. It concerns an order worth 1.7 billion euros. The choice of CAF caused discontent among competitors such as Siemens and Alstom. At the same time, their involvement in […]
December 19, 2025
The Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB only launched new fares in October, but another fare change is already on the way. On February 1st, the prices for train tickets and season tickets will be indexed. Tickets will then become 2.14% more expensive, and season tickets 2.60%. However, day tickets for car parking for train passengers and […]
December 18, 2025
It sounds like something out of Kafka, but the Tesla that the Zaventem police purchased six years ago is still standing in the garage and has hardly been driven at all. The reason? There is no registration certificate for Belgium because the documents are stuck with a Dutch leasing company. The car will soon be delivered […]
December 18, 2025
Wallonia lags behind Flanders and neighboring countries in charging station density. To address this situation, the Walloon government has made two decisions. Firstly, (ultra) fast chargers are now also allowed at motorway parking areas without petrol stations. And secondly, to accelerate the rollout of charging stations, “Électromobilité”, or Electromobility, is being set up, a committee […]
December 17, 2025
Fare evasion on the Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB is clearly on the rise. This is once again evident from the results of a recent large-scale ticket inspection. We are observing a similar trend in neighboring countries, along with higher fines. However, there is one notable exception: Luxembourg, because traveling by public transport there does not […]
December 16, 2025
Rail freight operator Lineas has been operating at a loss for years. After the Belgian government saved the company from imminent bankruptcy in July with a loan that can be converted into shares, Lineas has now applied for a closed judicial reorganization procedure. This should allow the company to reach a restructuring agreement with its […]
December 16, 2025
Last year, the Brussels-Capital Region spent 3.2 million euros on resurfacing its 800 kilometers of regional roads, well below the region’s own targets. According to De Standaard and BRUZZ, the structural resurfacing program requires an annual budget of approximately 10 million euros to maintain the road network. Every year, at least 10% of Brussels’ regional roads, […]
December 15, 2025
All main lines of the Belgian rail network, covering 6,399 km, are equipped with the ETCS safety system. This train-speed control system continuously monitors speed and intervenes when a train exceeds the speed limit. The rollout by rail network operator Infrabel, which involved installing more than 48,000 beacons in the tracks and equipping more than […]
December 15, 2025
The first urban cable car has been put into service in the Île-de-France region, near Paris. The cable car, reportedly the longest urban cable car in Europe, connects the Pointe-du-Lac stop in Créteil to the Villa-Nova stop in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges in 18 minutes, compared with around 40 minutes by bus or car. The C1 is expected […]
December 12, 2025
French train manufacturer Alstom plans to cut 150 jobs at its factory in Bruges from mid-2026. Earlier this year, Alstom lost out on a large train order from the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB, which opted for the Spanish company CAF. The unions feared that this would lead to job losses at the Bruges factory, […]
December 11, 2025
TotalEnergies’ lawyers have, in turn, presented their arguments in the so-called ‘Farmer case’, the lawsuit brought by Hugues Falys, an organic farmer from Hainaut, against the French oil giant. Falys holds the energy company responsible for climate change and, consequently, for the storms and droughts that have significantly impacted his business. According to them, a […]
