Three Brussels mayors criticise increase in aircraft noise

The mayors of three Brussels communes - Schaerbeek, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean and Koekelberg - have voiced concern about increased air traffic from Brussels Airport, particularly during the night.

Koekelberg’s Olivia P’Tito (PS), Molenbeek-Saint-Jean’s Amet Gjanaj (PS) and Schaerbeek’s Audrey Henry (MR) have jointly announced their concerns regarding the increase in air traffic over their municipalities and their support of a citizens’ petition against the related noise pollution.

The petition was started by the citizens’ collectives Stop Survol Bruxelles Nord - RNP 07L and Free Air Brussels North and gathered more than 1,600 signatures in just a few days.

Signatories are against the intensive use of runway 07L at Brussels Airport, as this causes more air traffic over the north of Brussels and affects an estimated 450,000 residents.

The mayors are also critical of federal mobility minister Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés), accusing him of not being open to dialogue.

Crucke announced last summer that the runaway 07L route would be used temporarily as an emergency measure due to work at the airport, but the three mayors noted that this approach route was used again in October, even though the work had already been completed.

Since the start of the Christmas holidays, the mayors have also seen a sharp increase in the use of the route.

According to figures, 1,217 landings on runway 07L were recorded in December. This year, more than 6,000 aircraft have already flown over the most densely populated areas of Brussels, making this the second worst year for aircraft noise in 10 years. In recent days, up to 98% of landings are said to have taken place via this route.

Federal ombudsman for aviation Philippe Touwaide said that the aircraft routes over northern Brussels are the result of exceptional weather conditions since 21 December.

“An unusual weather situation, with strong winds from the north and east, has necessitated the alternative use of runways since Sunday 21 December,” said Touwaide.

“This is an exceptional, temporary situation due to the weather, and not a new political decision or distribution; It’s about respecting a basic principle in aviation: landing against the wind.”

Touwaide said that all mayors have been informed twice a day about the progress of the flight plan since December, “even on Christmas Day, Saturday and Sunday, although no legal provision requires the ombudsman to work 24/7”.

Touwaide added that he hopes his work will be better respected from now on: “I do not have to put up with so many offensive remarks, as has unfortunately been the case for a week now.”

Koekelberg mayor Olivia P’tito is especially unhappy with Minister Crucke's silence after sending an earlier complaint in August.

“Unfortunately, I have to conclude that this letter has remained unanswered. There was not even an acknowledgement of receipt,” P’tito said.

“This situation is untenable. Our residents also have a right to peace and quiet. I can therefore only repeat my request to the minister to sit down together around the table.”

Schaerbeek mayor Audrey Henry criticised what she described as a "lack of answers and transparency" from the mobility minister: “As mayor, I am accountable to residents. I can only hope that everyone, at every level of government, applies the same criteria.”

Mayor Amet Gjanaj of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean echoed these concerns.

“More than 1,000 aircraft flew over our densely populated neighbourhoods last week alone – this situation is unacceptable and cannot continue,” Gjanaj said.

The mayors say the situation has only worsened since a letter they sent in October, and deteriorated even further since the start of the Christmas holidays.

They are calling for an end to the intensive use of this route and are asking for the support of the regional agency Brussels Environment to enforce Brussels noise standards by installing noise meters.

The issue of night flights is a sensitive one. When planes do not fly over Brussels, they have to fly over the Flemish periphery around Brussels, which for decades has led to community wrangling between Flemish and Brussels politicians over where the planes should fly.