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 indicated that he is open to further discussions, this time in the presence of the FPS Mobility and air traffic controller Skeyes.
‘Crucke route’
Last summer, the RNP-07 route was announced as temporary and urgent because major renovation work was underway on the main runways. But now it appears that the route will remain in place until at least the end of October, despite protests by citizen groups, such as Free Air Brussels North.
Critics also refer to the route as the ‘Crucke route’. They accuse him of having “secretly” made the route permanent.
RNP stands for Required Navigation Performance. Instead of navigating using ground beacons, aircraft use extremely accurate satellite navigation. The O7 refers to runways 07L and 07R, which did not previously have a modern instrument landing system.
These are also the runways used when the wind is blowing from the east, something that has been occurring more frequently lately and is linked by some to climate change. Aircraft then approach from the west over the center of Brussels to land into the wind toward Zaventem.
No official environmental impact report
But whereas the nuisance used to be somewhat spread out, now a narrow strip of residents in densely populated neighborhoods in Molenbeek, Jette, Brussels-City, Schaerbeek, and Evere have an airplane flying directly overhead every few minutes, sometimes at an altitude of less than 400 meters.
According to recent analyses, flights on runway 07 affect 4.8 to 13.5 times as many residents as flights on the main runways.
Although planes landing on this route now fly in a very tight, straight line, thanks to satellite precision and glide capability, which means they consume less fuel, Brussels noise standards are systematically exceeded by 10 dB or more on this route.
Precisely because the planes fly extremely low and pilots, due to the short track, often have to extend their flaps and landing gear earlier, this causes additional noise from air resistance.
Residents, therefore, complain that they no longer get “3 and a half hours of uninterrupted sleep” on nights when the wind is blowing from the east.
Several proceedings regarding the use of this route are pending before the Council of State, precisely because no official environmental impact report has ever been prepared for the current number of flights.
New consultations?
Last week, during a meeting with Minister Crucke’s cabinet, the Mayors of Koekelberg, Schaerbeek, and Molenbeek denounced the “unacceptable” delay, but their complaints were brushed aside.
Minister Crucke and Skeyes are keeping the route in use because it improves safety and optimizes airport capacity, and because the new navigation method has been mandated by European legislation.
However, Crucke now says that he is open to new consultations if the disappointed Mayors request them. He will also invite the FPS Mobility and Skeyes to participate.
“The debate on flying over Brussels deserves a rigorous and responsible approach,” says Crucke. “This is a technical and regulatory issue that requires answers based on facts and objective studies. Personalizing or politicizing the subject does not contribute to a better understanding of the challenges, nor to a concrete improvement of the situation for citizens.”
Crucke also reports that, pending further impact analyses and possible alternatives, the current system will remain in effect until October 31. For the residents concerned, this is certainly not a prospect that makes them look forward to spring and summer.
