The Brussels Government announced on Thursday it would take legal action to have a new landing route suspended, following months of disruption to residents, on the recommendation of Brussels State Secretary for the Environment and Climate, Ans Persoons (Vooruit). The action may result in fines being imposed on the Belgian state, De Standaard reports.
Since the start of this year, the most densely populated part of Brussels has been suffering from a new landing route on runway 07L towards Zaventem Airport. The Brussels Region is now taking legal action to have the route suspended, directly going against the Federal Government. The claim could result in the Belgian state having to pay penalty payments for breaches of Brussels' noise standards during landings.
Persoons referred to 07L as "an aeroplane motorway": aircraft can land in quick succession as the new route is entirely GPS-guided and runs in a straight line.
Keeping people awake
As well as improving the efficiency of the aircraft and the airport, it also means the noise of landing aircraft every four minutes over some of the country's most densely populated municipalities. In December, 96% of those arriving flights exceeded the noise limits (80 decibels) at the measuring station in the City of Brussels, De Standaard noted.
"This is keeping people awake, both literally and figuratively," Persoons said in an initial response.
"Those who don't sleep well cannot function properly. We are calling for a fair distribution, with due regard for the health of Brussels residents. An aeroplane motorway over the most densely populated neighbourhoods of Brussels is unacceptable. This legal action is a means of exerting pressure, and above all, a call for action and solutions," she said.
One key argument is that the new approach route to runway 07L was announced last September as a trial phase, but now risks becoming permanent, without consultation with Brussels.
Moreover, this flight path affects far more residents than the other routes. According to a study by the ULB, this would involve around 270,000 people, but that figure could rise to as many as 400,000 if the approach route to 07R is also taken into account. Other routes affect just over 30,000 people, or roughly a tenth of that number.
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Persoons emphasised that Brussels is not opposed to the airport, but is calling for a better distribution. In her view, the Federal Government should achieve this through a simple, minor adjustment to the wind standards.
"We recognise the economic importance of the airport, and we are calling for a fair distribution. There will still be flights over Brussels, but not at the inhuman pace of sometimes as many as 300 aircraft a day," she said.
Persoons has already consulted the mayors of the 19 Brussels municipalities on this matter, and has received unanimous support. The "non au survol" petition gathered more than 12,000 signatures.
