More than 1,000 protesters against flight path noise

More than 1,000 protesters gathered on Sunday in Brussels to condemn what they have called the "Crucke flight path", a new route over the capital that was supposed to be temporary but has been in use now for over a year.

This flight path takes planes over the north and west of the capital, causing significant noise pollution both day and night.

Protestors are attaching the name of Belgium’s federal mobility minister, Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés), to the flight path in an effort to prompt political action.

“We don’t want to go out any more. At night, we can’t sleep properly,” one protestor told RTBF. “The noise is terrible. We can’t talk outside, or even inside.”

The protest was made up mostly of residents from the affected municipalities of Evere, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Schaerbeek, Jette and Molenbeek, and was organised by the Free Air 4 Brussels association.

“It’s a new route,” said Vincent Vanwijnsberghe, chair of Free Air 4 Brussels. “It was introduced by the minister in April 2025 as a trial. More than a year later, the route is still in place. Our lives have quite simply become a living hell.”

Crucke says he ws working on a new flight path plan for Brussels, with proposals due to be presented on 1 October, but protestors say they have lost trust in the minister after more than a year without a resolution.

The use of the controversial RNP 07L flight path was supposed to be a temporary, emergency measure due to works on other runways, as well as "exceptional circumstances" and "emergency situations", according to Brussels Airport.

Another reason for its use is weather related. Aircraft must land into the wind, and only runway 07 allows for this when the wind is blowing from the east or north-east. Changes in wind patterns are said to be structural and caused by climate change.

The noise pollution from this new route is disturbing the sleep of an estimated 270,000 people since the summer of 2025, according to studies.

“In a case like this, it’s absolutely vital that there’s trust,” affected-resident Matthias Brusselmans told Bruzz.

“At the moment, there are various non-profit organisations that are also pitted against one another, because nobody wants those flight paths to run over their own municipality.”

Fellow resident Thomas Leyers echoed concerns about Minister Crucke’s approach: “In July 2025, he said this route was under ‘investigation’.

"More than a year later, I wonder: what exactly have they been investigating all this time? Does he want to see if, after a while, we’ll simply stop talking about this nuisance?"

Leyers sees the use of these flight paths as a social issue. “It’s no coincidence that this route flies over the poorer parts of Brussels,” he said.

“Europe issues guidelines to determine the distribution of aircraft based on population density. These aren’t being respected, and that’s purely down to money. It’s scandalous.”

A number of politicians attended the protest, including Koekelberg mayor Olivia P’tito (PS), Schaerbeek mayor Martin de Brabant (MR) and Molenbeek mayor Catherine Moureaux (PS), as well as the Brussels state secretaries Audrey Henry (MR) and Ans Persoons (Vooruit).

P’tito and Persoons have both already taken legal action against the flight path together with a few municipalities and the Brussels region.

“But legal action takes too long,” Persoons said in a speech at the protest.

“We’re looking at what else we can do. The peace of mind and health of the people of Brussels are very important. I know how bad it is, how unexpectedly this decision was made and how many people are suffering as a result.”

The legal efforts, meanwhile, are growing. Free Air 4 Brussels announced that about 200 Brussels families will be joining the legal action, in addition to 42 families from the Flemish periphery who were already involved.

The citizens’ collective emphasised that the association itself will not be a party to the legal proceedings. Volunteers will, however, support the families involved by providing technical information and analyses that can be passed on to the lawyers.

Pending a ruling, P’tito is calling for an end to night-time flights and heavy cargo flights, and for greater transparency regarding the activation of the route.

“We believe that the minister and his fellow ministers don’t realise just how far-reaching and life-altering the nuisance is,” said Lies Ryckeboer, a volunteer with Free Air 4 Brussels.

“Hopefully, following this protest, Crucke will be prepared to listen to all these people. The protests will not stop. The breakfast protests outside Crucke’s office will certainly continue.”