July 24, 2026
Last week, the Flemish government reached an agreement on subsidies for regional airports – a long-standing “headache” because these airports have been operating at a loss for years despite receiving operating subsidies. Pursuant on this agreement, the Flemish Parliament was provided with documents for debate in the Finance Committee. However, the document also inadvertently included […]
July 23, 2026
Today marks exactly 100 years since the Belgian Parliament passed the law establishing the National Society of Belgian Railways, or NMBS/SNCB. It is therefore time to look back on a century of railway history, but also to look ahead to the next chapters in the history of Belgian railways. For while some 3,800 trains run […]
July 23, 2026
The Irish low-cost airline Ryanair will, after all, withdraw 5 airplanes from Charleroi and cut 2 million seats for the 2026 winter and 2027 summer seasons in Belgium due to the federal government’s increase in the boarding tax. By actually pulling planes out of service now, Ryanair is effectively sending the message that its threats […]
July 22, 2026
Last June, Western Europe was hit by the most widespread heat wave on record, and several countries in Southern Europe are currently still grappling with persistent, intense heat and wildfires. UNECE, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, then called on countries in Europe, North America, and Central Asia to urgently make their transportation infrastructure […]
July 20, 2026
The Belgian national railway company NMBS/SNCB is looking for a new operator for the former Plopsa space at Antwerp Central Station. Plopsa Station has been vacant since January of this year after operator Studio 100 shut it down due to a lack of visitors. NMBS/SNCB is now launching a market consultation for the site, which […]
July 20, 2026
The flight tax for flights longer than 500 km, which the Belgian government had planned to raise from 5€ to 10€ starting in 2027, has ultimately been set at 7€. The inner cabinet decided it. “This change better protects Wallonia’s economic interests while also meeting the federal government’s budgetary targets”, says the office of Walloon […]
July 16, 2026
Brugel, the Brussels energy regulator, has outlined the framework and timeline for a comprehensive reform of distribution network tariffs. Notably, Brussels has opted for a model of its own that differs from those in Flanders and Wallonia. While Flanders bases its billing exclusively on your peak power (kW), regardless of when you consume it, Wallonia […]
July 15, 2026
The Belgian retail group Colruyt is selling a majority stake in its in-house developed autonomous pallet trucks. The buyer of 70% of Colruyt’s research and development activities related to autonomous pallet trucks is KION, a German forklift specialist that was already partially involved in the project. In fact, this is a strategic partnership in which […]
July 14, 2026
The Belgian company John Cockerill Hydrogen has unveiled its first hydrogen electrolyzer designed and manufactured entirely in France. The unveiling took place in Belfort at McPhy’s industrial site, which John Cockerill Hydrogen acquired last year, along with some of its staff and patents. The 30-metric-ton unit enables the production of decarbonized hydrogen from water. Push […]
July 14, 2026
Of the 16 million euros in fines issued in 2025 for fare evasion on the Flemish public transportation company De Lijn, half have already been collected. Due in part to increased inspections, the total amount of fines issued has nearly tenfold since 2020, rising from approximately 1.13 million to more than 16 million euros. Actual […]
July 13, 2026
Starting May 1 of next year, Belgium plans to require a road vignette for all drivers on Belgian highways and regional roads. “Yet another one,” the exasperated drivers must be thinking as they prepare to set off on vacation by car, because the myriad systems for road and environmental vignettes and low-emission zones (LEZ) across […]
July 13, 2026
On Saturday in France, protesters demonstrated against the construction of the Seine-Nord Europe canal, a key component of the Seine-Scheldt Link, a large-scale inland waterway project intended to connect the French river with ports in Belgium and the Netherlands by 2032. Protesters are particularly concerned about the impact on waterways and wetlands, and the loss […]
July 10, 2026
The June heat wave led to a notably higher excess mortality rate in Wallonia and Brussels than in Flanders. Experts point to a combination of factors: geographic conditions, the urban heat island effect, socioeconomic vulnerability, housing quality, and possibly air pollution. Because no matter how you look at it, poverty has long been linked to […]
July 10, 2026
The number of airline passengers is projected to more than double by 2045, following an average annual growth rate of 3.9%, reaching approximately 10 billion per year. This is according to Airbus’s new Global Market Forecast 2026-2045, the European aerospace corporation. Although the aviation industry has set a net-zero goal for 2050, the forecast also […]
July 09, 2026
The number of speed pedelecs registrations in Belgium rose sharply in the first six months of the year, by more than 8,000 units. This is according to figures from the mobility federation Traxio. This sharp increase is mainly attributable to military personnel. Recently, they have also been able to lease a bicycle following an expansion […]
July 09, 2026
The European aerospace corporation Airbus plans to establish a joint venture with aircraft engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines to produce hydrogen-powered engines. These engines are intended to eventually serve as an alternative to fossil-fuel-powered internal combustion engines, thereby reducing CO2 emissions from aviation. Fuel cells Through the joint venture, which is expected to become operational […]
July 08, 2026
The Brussels government is looking for a date for a second car-free Sunday, and the process isn’t going smoothly. Social media, in particular, where Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) is coming under fire, especially from mainly anti-Good Move civic groups, is fanning the flames. The reason for the commotion? The coalition agreement stipulates […]
July 07, 2026
Signage on Flemish highways is getting a facelift. The Roads and Traffic Agency (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV), the road authority responsible for Flemish highways and regional roads, wants signage to be consistent across the entire Flemish highway network, guided by the principle of providing less but more relevant information per sign and improving traffic […]
July 06, 2026
The Walloon transportation company LETEC has canceled two of its three bus routes to Charleroi Airport. Especially the cancellation of the bus service from Fleurus Station raises questions. Both the railway company NMBS/SNCB and the railway infrastructure manager Infrabel invested heavily in the station to turn it into an intermodal hub for travel to the […]
July 06, 2026
The Brussels government is introducing a new fee structure for the use of public charging stations for EV’s. Starting October 1, a 6-euro cents-per-minute rate will apply to vehicles that remain connected to a charging station for more than 6 hours between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. The fee is being introduced to address the […]
July 04, 2026
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 […]
July 03, 2026
Last summer, 1.6 million train tickets to international destinations were purchased from the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB, a 6% increase over the previous year. Current ticket sales also confirm this upward trend. One reason Belgians are increasingly choosing to travel by train is the growing range of destinations available. Currently, you can travel from […]
July 02, 2026
After a months-long dispute, Flemish Minister of Mobility and Ports Annick De Ridder (N-VA) has reached an agreement with the pilots on pension reform. The agreement will still need to be further worked out through the relevant consultative bodies. The ongoing strike action by the pilot services had a massive impact on shipping traffic. At […]
July 01, 2026
On July 1, the Flemish public transportation company De Lijn will implement changes to approximately one-third of its lines in Flanders. The number of changes – mostly involving route cancellations or reduced frequencies – is highest in Limburg, where, for example, the bus route to Hasselt Prison is being discontinued, or the route from Sint-Truiden […]
June 30, 2026
Starting Wednesday, July 1, the grace period in Brussels will officially end, and the tax authorities will begin issuing fines to the latest group of drivers who violate the low-emission zone (LEZ) standards. Specifically, more than 13,000 vehicles – Euro 5 diesel and Euro 2 gasoline cars that received a warning earlier this year – […]
June 29, 2026
Belgian Dieter Vranckx (53), who has been building his career at Lufthansa for some time, is now chairman of three airlines within the German group, one of the largest in Europe. In addition to Brussels Airlines, these are Swiss and Austrian Airlines. Vranckx’s appointment is part of a reorganization at Lufthansa, in which decision-making regarding […]
June 26, 2026
Between 2019 and 2024, the number of unique classic cars, or old-timers, driving through Brussels’ Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) more than tripled, from around 4,500 to nearly 14,000 vehicles. This is according to figures from Brussels Environment that Member of Parliament Benjamin Dalle (CD&V) requested. According to the Brussels parliamentarian, this indicates that these cars are […]
June 25, 2026
The new rules the EU plans to introduce for booking tickets for cross-border rail travel still mean that nearly half of the busiest international train journeys are difficult or impossible to book. That’s according to T&E, a lobby group for sustainable mobility, in a new report. T&E also proposes several changes and measures that would […]
June 24, 2026
The ongoing heat wave continues to cause problems for NMBS/SNCB: through Friday, the Belgian public railway company will cancel 100 trains daily. According to NMBS/SNCB, the measure is necessary to ensure the well-being and safety of both passengers and staff. Despite recent modernization efforts, many older trains lack air conditioning and are also more prone […]
June 23, 2026
Australian metal mining company Fortescue is set to charter up to 12 Newcastlemax vessels – giant dry bulk carriers with a deadweight tonnage of 210,000 metric tons – capable of running on ammonia from Bocimar, the pioneer in green propulsion with the Belgian shipping company CMB.TECH. Ammonia is seen as a promising alternative fuel for […]
June 22, 2026
The Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB will cancel some P-trains today and tomorrow due to the heat wave. These are mostly older, non-air-conditioned trains that have been parked in direct sunlight all day. Passengers are advised to plan their trips before departure via the NMBS/SNCB website or app. No airco P-trains operate during peak hours. […]
June 22, 2026
Following a storm of criticism over Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder’s (N-VA) plan to cut more than 200 bus routes for special education starting in September – to stay within the set budget of 139 million euros – the Flemish government has decided that no additional cuts will be imposed on De Lijn after all. […]
June 19, 2026
The Brussels government has green lighted the Station Plan. This master plan aims to improve safety at the Brussels North and Brussels South train stations, make them cleaner, and at the same time address the presence of homeless people and drug users. An annual budget of 10 million euros has been allocated for the plan. […]
June 18, 2026
The Antwerp-based construction company Smulders will participate in the construction of a power outlet in the North Sea for the German grid operator 50Hertz, a subsidiary of the Belgian high-voltage group Elia. The offshore power connector, known as ‘North Sea Connector 2,’ will enable up to 2 gigawatts of wind power electricity to be transmitted […]
June 18, 2026
The news that De Lijn plans to cut back on student transportation to special educations schools starting in September has sparked a great deal of criticism and uproar from school principals and parents to ordinary citizens on the street and in parliament. More than 200 bus routes are being eliminated because Flemish Minister of Mobility […]
June 17, 2026
Brussels Minister of Mobility Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) acknowledged as much last year: Floya, the Brussels-Capital Region’s multimodal app, needs to become better known. MIVB/STIB is now addressing the issue itself by announcing that it will discontinue the multimodal mobility app starting in 2027. The app cost 6 million euros to develop, although Van […]
June 17, 2026
Next school year, the Flemish public transport company De Lijn will cut 204 bus routes for student transportation to special education schools, according to several media. De Lijn confirms that routes will be eliminated, but has not yet provided a specific number. The cuts are being made because Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder […]
June 16, 2026
The Brussels Environment Council is calling on the region to adopt “a coherent strategy to reduce the weight of passenger cars gradually.” According to the Council, the weight of new passenger cars has increased by about 50% over the past 20 years. In 2023, more than half of new registrations in Brussels were SUVs, with […]
June 16, 2026
After 16 European countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands, called for uniform European legislation on e-scooters late last year, the Benelux countries are now also urging the European Commission to work toward a harmonized European framework for e-scooters and other light electric vehicles. The three countries point to increasing fragmentation in national regulations, “which leads […]
June 15, 2026
Starting in July 2027, a direct high-speed rail link will be established between Brussels and Basel, Switzerland. “This is a pilot project designed to assess the demand for travel between Brussels and Basel,” says the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB. For this project, NMBS/SNCB, SNCF Voyageurs, and the Swiss operator SBB are joining forces. There […]
June 15, 2026
NÜWIEL, a German manufacturer of eTrailers, has been selected by the City of Antwerp for a new pilot project under the “Smart to Antwerp” initiative to help the city transition to zero-emissions logistics. Local businesses and entrepreneurs can try NÜWIEL’s eTrailer for free for 4 weeks to see if it can help reduce traffic congestion […]
June 12, 2026
To alleviate road congestion, Europe plans to establish a new waterborne freight corridor between Le Havre, Paris, and the Ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. Both Flanders and Wallonia are allocating significant resources to this large-scale European inland waterway project, now called the Seine-Scheldt, which comprises a network of 1,100 kilometers of navigable waterways. To date, […]
June 12, 2026
Just as the issues surrounding the use of shared e-scooters in Brussels were starting to improve – save for a rise in the number of accidents – the Brussels government has decided to ban shared e-scooters starting in 2027. The decision stems from a rising number of accidents, increased nuisance to other road users, and […]
June 11, 2026
Liège Airport, Belgium’s largest cargo airport, started 2026 on a growth trajectory and expects to set a record this year. And why wouldn’t it, when a recent study by the University of Liège shows that the airport is at the heart of an ecosystem comprising nearly 150 companies and supports an estimated 12,600 direct, indirect, and […]
June 10, 2026
The Belgian-Limburg logistics group H. Essers has opened a new inland waterway container terminal in Bergen op Zoom, the Netherlands. Thanks to its location outside the dike, inland waterway containers can now remain on the water from start to finish between the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. The new terminal has a capacity of 250,000 […]
June 09, 2026
If the Euregio secures the prestigious project to build the Einstein Telescope, a railway site spanning over 44 hectares in Montzen, near Voeren, will be available for this purpose. Both the Belgian rail infrastructure manager, Infrabel, and the Belgian national railway company, NMBS/SNCB, have given their informal approval for this. World-class measuring instrument The Einstein […]
June 09, 2026
Every bus driver employed by the Flemish public transportation company De Lijn will have three minor traffic violations reimbursed annually. Starting with the fourth minor violation within 12 months, the driver must pay the fine themselves. More serious violations, such as driving under the influence, are the employee’s responsibility from the outset. The new regulation […]
June 08, 2026
Normally, the LEZ fines for Euro 5 diesel and Euro 2 gasoline vehicles were set to take effect in Brussels on June 7, but the date has been postponed yet again. Brussels Minister of Finance Dirk De Smedt (Anders) has now confirmed that the fines can be collected starting July 1. Specifically, 13,219 vehicles that […]
June 08, 2026
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has nearly halved its profit forecasts for airlines. This is primarily due to higher fuel prices, but also because the war in the Middle East has severely disrupted flights through aviation hubs such as Dubai. Nevertheless, IATA estimates that this year the number of passengers will exceed 5 billion […]
June 08, 2026
Starting in December 2027, there will be an improved train service to and from Brussels Airport, with additional early-morning trains from cities including Bruges and Ghent. This is outlined in the new transport plan from the Belgian national railway company NMBS/SNCB, which the Council has approved with Ministers. Other notable changes include a 3% expansion […]
June 05, 2026
Port of Antwerp-Bruges has appointed Rob Smeets as its new CEO. Smeets, the current interim CEO, has been given a six-year term and succeeds Jacques Vandermeiren, who announced his departure in April. Smeets faces a daunting task. Over the next 10 years, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges must secure approximately 5 billion euros for numerous projects. […]
June 04, 2026
46% of cyclists during the morning rush hour in Flanders and Brussels are children or teenagers who ride independently. This is according to a survey by the Fietsersbond or Cycling Union. In addition to this 46%, 6% of children were being transported on an adult’s bicycle. These were mainly cargo bikes (43%), longtails (25%), or […]
June 04, 2026
The service offered by the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB decreased by 3,9% last year compared to the previous year. Last year, all NMBS/SNCB trains together covered 79,2 million train-kilometers, compared to 82,4 million in 2024 – a decrease of 3,2 million train-kilometers. Nevertheless, the railway company aims to increase its service by 10% over […]
June 03, 2026
Wallonia and Brussels lag behind Flanders in bicycle commuting to work. Of course, the terrain and the capital’s busy urban environment play a role in this. But according to Avello, an advocacy group for cyclists in Walloon and Brussels municipalities, Wallonia and Brussels are also structurally the least bicycle-friendly regions, and it is precisely the […]
June 03, 2026
Turning on your hazard lights instead of placing the warning triangle will become the new primary warning method for drivers whose vehicles break down on Belgian roads. The new rule takes effect on June 1, 2027. It is being introduced because placing a warning triangle along busy roads is no longer considered safe. After all, […]
June 02, 2026
Last year, the federal police recorded 10,1 million traffic violations in Belgium, a new record. Approximately 83% of all recorded traffic violations were speeding offenses. However, the majority of these are minor violations, involving speeds of 0-10 kph over the limit. This trend is largely attributable to the fact that traffic enforcement in Belgium is […]
June 02, 2026
For years, parking fines for vehicles with foreign license plates were not always collected in Brussels. That situation is now coming to an end thanks to the introduction of a new international collection system. Parking.brussels is engaging a specialized collection agency to address these violations. Of the total number of parking tickets issued in Brussels, […]
June 01, 2026
Starting in 2028, new scanners will be installed at the security checkpoint at Brussels Airport. As a result, departing passengers will no longer have to remove liquids and electronics, such as laptops, from their carry-on luggage. Thanks to the new scanners, liquids will also be allowed in unlimited quantities in packaging of up to 2 […]
June 01, 2026
People are choosing to take the train more often because of high fuel prices. This is according to a survey of train passengers conducted by the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB. NMBS/SNCB is also seeing this growth in passengers’ numbers reflected in the figures: in March and April, the railway company sold 10% more single […]
May 29, 2026
The Dutch railway company GoVolta will launch a daily train service between Amsterdam and Paris on December 14, with stops at Antwerp Central and Ghent-Sint-Pieters. For Ghent, this marks the return of a direct train connection to Paris since the discontinuation of the Thalys service in 2015. GoVolta promises fares starting at €10 for train […]
