Brussels Environment issued 63 citations in May for aviation infractions over Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, the Brussels municipality confirmed on Wednesday.
This marks the first time such action has been taken against airlines since the installation of a noise meter in 2017, local authorities noted.
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert installed the monitoring device on Rue de la Charrette in late October 2017. The aim was to reveal excessive use of the so-called “left turn” air route by planes at Brussels National Airport, accounting for nearly 45% of takeoffs. Seven years on, “thanks to the intervention of its lawyer, the municipality has managed to ensure that violations identified by the noise meter are subject to administrative proceedings,” the town stated in a press release.
The infractions are for flights breaching the aircraft noise regulation of 27 May 1999, often referred to as the “aircraft noise” or “Gosuin” decree, which sets ground noise limits to be observed.
“Until now, the measures put in place by Brussels Environment did not cover the ‘left turn,’ unlike other routes," local authorities said. "However, data shared with the municipality by Brussels Environment show that more and more aircraft are flying over Woluwe-Saint-Lambert through this route, and that over 99% of violations occur between 6:00 and 7:00 in the morning.”
In the event of an infraction, Brussels Environment sends a citation to the airline, copied to the Brussels prosecutor’s office, which has six months to decide whether or not to initiate proceedings against the airline.
If no legal action is taken, Brussels Environment has the power to impose an alternative administrative fine, which can reach up to €125,000 for multiple infractions.
