Will a new complaint against Antwerp airport lead to a ban on TUI flights?

Vliegerplein, an action group against Antwerp airport, continues to oppose the airport. After a previous complaint against the manager, it now also filed a complaint against the operator. Reason? “The airport uses improper agricultural land”.

In the spring, the action group against the airport ‘Vliegerplein’ filed a complaint with the Environmental Inspectorate. Several construction violations were identified, such as a perimeter road being built without a permit just inside the perimeter fence. Such a fence is crucial for the international recognition of an airport.

A previous complaint was directed against LOM, the owner of the airport. But at the end of last month, Vliegerplein filed a new complaint, this time against LEM NV, the operating subsidiary of the French group Egis.

Says Vliegerplein spokesman Piet De Roeck: “The airport infrastructure has been illegally extended to the adjacent agricultural zone.”

What does Vliegerplein want to achieve? “That a new report will be drawn up and that the illegal exploitation will stop. That would indeed mean that TUI would no longer be able to fly its large Embraer jets.”

The action group also forwarded the complaint to the three municipal authorities involved, Borsbeek, Mortsel and Antwerp, where LEM’s headquarters are located.

At LEM itself, spokeswoman Ann Vanpraet says that they are not aware of a new complaint that was allegedly submitted at the end of September. They also point out that “the alleged illegal exploitation” is already the subject of the criminal proceedings initiated by Vliegerplein, but in which the court acquitted LEM in the first instance. “This ruling has been appealed. LEM is confident that the appeal judge will confirm the first instance ruling.”

Source: Gazet van Antwerpen