Brussels mayors demand stricter measures to curb aircraft noise from Brussels Airport

The mayors of the 19 municipalities in the Brussels-Capital Region have agreed on a set of demands aimed at reducing aircraft noise over the Belgian capital, calling on multiple levels of government to take action.

The joint position, reached earlier this month and reported by Belgian press agency Belga, urges the federal government to respect the principle of avoiding overflights of the most densely populated areas. The mayors also reiterate their call for a ban on night flights between 22:00 and 07:00, similar to restrictions in place at many European airports.

They further request that, if necessary, a comprehensive study be launched to assess the operational impact such a measure would have on airport activity.

Another key concern involves the frequent use of auxiliary runways 01 and 07 for landings over Brussels at relatively low altitudes—often just a few hundred meters—when winds come from the northeast or southeast. According to the mayors, these operations occur too often due to an overly strict application of wind norms. They point out that the Belgian state has already been condemned at least twice over this issue.

At the regional level, the mayors are asking the Brussels government to allocate part of the €42 million it has received in penalty payments from the federal state in recent years. They also want noise monitoring systems installed in all municipalities located under flight paths and are calling for a revision of the procedures used to collect fines for violations.

The mayors have also outlined a number of demands directed at the Flemish government, although details of those requests have not yet been fully disclosed.