Brussels Airlines has taken delivery of its 8th Airbus A320neo aircraft. Thanks to its investment in this quieter aircraft model, the Belgian airline has halved its fleet’s noise pollution since 2014.
Although Brussels Airlines’ approach to reducing noise pollution is sincere, its legal strategy is moving in the opposite direction. Indeed, it recently vehemently opposed a cap on the total number of flights and stricter rules on night flights – precisely the measures that would limit overall noise pollution for nearby residents.
50% quieter than its predecessor
In November 2023, Brussels Airlines began renewing its medium-haul fleet with its first A320neo. This aircraft is 50% quieter than its predecessor, the A320ceo, and also consumes up to 20% less fuel, resulting in lower CO2 emissions.
Since then, seven more have been delivered. A total of 13 aircraft are planned; five more will follow in the coming years. Upon completion, the entire fleet will consist of 46 aircraft of various types.
According to CEO Dorothea von Boxberg, Brussels Airlines reduced the noise pollution caused by its aircraft by 50% compared to 2014.
Balancing act
However, this is certainly no reason to conclude that Brussels Airlines is systematically doing everything it can to address noise pollution for residents. In March 2024, the Flemish government, which at the time was not yet the airport’s largest shareholder, approved a new environmental permit for Brussels Airport, which included a cap on flight movements and stricter rules on night flights.
However, various municipalities and environmental organizations, among others, considered the permit too lenient; Brussels Airlines, on the other hand, felt it was too strict and sought fewer operational restrictions.
The Council for Permit Disputes rules in favor of Brussels Airlines, not on substantive grounds but on procedural ones: the Flemish government should have first gone through the ‘Balanced Approach’ procedure before imposing operating restrictions. Because that had not been done, the entire permit was revoked.
Structural conflict of interest
Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependael (N-VA) and Flemish Minister of the Environment Jo Brouns (CD&V) attended the presentation of the new aircraft yesterday, specifically to highlight the so-called ‘Balanced Approach’ procedure that the federal and Flemish governments have launched in the run-up to a new environmental permit for Brussels Airport.
And that’s exactly where the problem lies: will Flanders, as a regulator, take strict action against an airport in which it itself, as a shareholder, has a financial stake in its growth and dividends?
The conflict takes on an additional community dimension because the noise pollution itself is unevenly distributed: Brussels must endure 55% of all flights flying overhead, while regulatory authority lies precisely with Flanders.
That doesn’t mean nothing will change at all. Still, it does explain why Brussels, Wallonia, and environmental organizations are concerned that the new permit, set to take effect by 2029, will be less stringent than the invalidated version that is still provisionally in force – precisely because of that structural conflict of interest.
In any case, Brussels Airlines assured everyone that it intends to work with the various parties involved to reach a balanced agreement on airport noise pollution. Brussels Airport, for its part, reiterated its commitment to “growth with less disruption.”
