Over a decade since the last similar initiative, the mayors of Brussels’ 19 municipalities have reached a common agreement to reduce the noise pollution caused by aircraft flying over the capital region.
Among the 14 demands submitted to the federal government, they prioritise banning flights over densely populated areas and taking into account the urban character of the national airport, which they argue should only operate during the day.
The mayors are calling for a ban on night flights between 22:00 and 7:00, as is practised by many European airports. If necessary, they propose conducting a study to evaluate the operational impacts of implementing such a restriction.
Another key demand is to reduce landings that involve intense low-level flights over the city via alternative runways 01 and 07, used when dominant westerly winds shift to blow from the northeast or southeast.
They attribute the issue to an overly strict enforcement of wind standards, which they say prompts an unnecessary switch to these secondary runways.
The mayors emphasised that Belgium has already been held legally accountable for such issues on at least two occasions.
They also ask the Brussels government to provide a share of the €42 million collected over recent years in penalties paid by the federal government. Additional requests include installing noise meters in every overflown municipality and reviewing the process for imposing and collecting fines related to violations of the noise regulation.
These demands are part of a set of proposals drafted by a working group led by Benoît Cerexhe, the mayor of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. The proposals also include some recommendations for the Flemish government.
