The municipal council of Evere has adopted a motion to combat the increasing air traffic over the commune and the Brussels Region caused by flights taking off and landing at Brussels Airport in Zaventem.
Federal MP Ridouane Chahid (PS), who also chairs the Evere council and authored the motion, announced the decision on Monday. The motion calls for an immediate ban on night flights between 22:00 and 07:00, and pledges support for legal actions initiated by neighbouring communes.
Chahid described the move as a strong political response to a situation he says has become unbearable for thousands of residents in Evere and Brussels.
Many are reportedly enduring significant noise pollution from low-altitude aircraft operating both day and night. The issue primarily concerns flights using the airport’s long runways, 07R/25L and 07L/25R.
According to Chahid, the problem intensified in the summer of 2025 with the introduction of a new flight path known as “RNP 07L.”
Commonly referred to as the “Crucke route,” after Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke, this trajectory has concentrated unprecedented volumes of air traffic over densely populated areas, particularly in northern Brussels. Affected zones include the communes of Koekelberg, Molenbeek, Jette, Brussels City, Schaerbeek, and Evere.
Residents in some areas are now faced with aircraft passing overhead as frequently as every four minutes, totalling over 200 movements some days, Chahid stated.
The adopted motion demands strict adherence to the principle of avoiding flights over densely populated zones, the abolition of night flights, immediate measures to reduce noise pollution on the 07L and 07R routes, and full compliance with Brussels Region noise regulations.
Moreover, the motion commits Evere to join legal actions launched by neighbouring communes and considers working with the Brussels Region to file a complaint with the Council of State against decisions enabling the creation or extension of the RNP 07L flight path.
The council further urged the federal government, the Flemish Region, Brussels Airport, and Skeyes (the Belgian air traffic control authority) to take responsibility and end what it described as an untenable situation for residents.
