Brussels Airport tests world-first mobile air filter to cut tarmac emissions

Brussels Airport and Safran Aero Boosters will begin a three-month trial of a large mobile air filtration system designed to reduce fine and ultrafine particle pollution around airport operations. Installed near the tarmac from 22 June until the end of September, the 12-metre-long prototype draws in ambient air, filters out particulate matter, and releases cleaner air back into the environment.

Developed by Safran Aero Boosters with support from the Walloon Region, the system is being tested in a live operational setting at Brussels Airport, making it the first airport worldwide to evaluate this type of mobile filtration technology under real airport conditions.

The project follows an initial trial conducted between December 2025 and March 2026 near Pier A. Air quality measurements carried out by the Scientific Institute of Public Service (ISSeP) and the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) produced encouraging preliminary results, indicating the technology could help improve local air quality for airport employees and nearby residents.

During the second test phase, additional research will assess the filter’s effectiveness and explore its potential deployment at airports and other industrial sites. The initiative forms part of Brussels Airport’s participation in the Stargate programme, a European Green Deal project aimed at advancing more sustainable aviation. Funding has been provided by the Walloon Region and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.