The public inquiry into the next environmental permit for Charleroi Airport (BSCA) began on Monday and will last until 25 February.
During this period, residents of nine municipalities are invited to express their opinions on the future of the infrastructure for the next 20 years.
In Wallonia, the environmental permit also serves as an operating permit. Without this permit, Charleroi Airport cannot function, and the current permit expires in July 2025.
The proposed new permit increases several limits, particularly those related to the number of commercial flights and passengers that can be accommodated annually.
BSCA officials aim to increase commercial flights from 77,000 to 83,000 by 2045 and passenger numbers from 10 million to 16 million by 2045.
A series of new infrastructures are also planned, including new boarding gates and a connection between terminals 1 and 2. The new permit will also address the regularisation of Terminal 2, which has been without a planning permit since its annulment by the Council of State in 2020.
In December 2023, an information meeting gathered several hundred people from the Charleroi region. Some attendees expressed significant concerns about the future development of the infrastructure.
