Brussels Airport recorded thousands of regulatory breaches in 2025, according to the annual figures released on 25 February 2026 by Federal Air Ombudsman Philippe Touwaide.
The Ombudsman reports 1,317 breaches of federal aviation rules, including:
Of particular concern are 200 fully illegal nighttime departures of a Boeing 777 cargo aircraft, which registered an actual noise level (QL) of 10.7, exceeding the legal night limit of 8.0.
The aircraft reportedly operates under a declared QL of 7.7, based on documentation currently subject to judicial investigation.
Additionally, the independent slot coordinator identified 1,032 night movements without a scheduled slot:
558 landings
474 take-offs
For the first ten months of 2025, 4,758 breaches of Brussels regional noise standards were recorded by the Brussels Environment monitoring network.
Under Article 34 of the operating licence of Brussels Airport Company, the operator must comply with and enforce the acoustic standards set by the Brussels-Capital Region and the Flemish Region.
The Ombudsman states that the airport operator continues to fail in this obligation.
On 26 February 2025, the Brussels Court of First Instance issued an environmental cessation order prohibiting the Belgian State from operating certain flight paths at night (23:00–07:00) if doing so would increase violations above 2017 baseline levels. The restricted routes include:
Touwaide emphasised that the balance between economic activity, public health, and environmental protection requires strict adherence to court rulings and legislation—particularly regarding night operations. He calls for a drastic reduction in violations, especially at night, to safeguard residents’ right to rest and quiet.
The figures underscore ongoing structural tensions between aviation activity and regional noise compliance around Brussels Airport.
This post was published on 25 February 2026 16:18
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