Court of appeal rejects Flemish objection to new take-off procedures at Brussels Airport
The Brussels Court of Appeal has rejected the environmental objection by the Flemish region and Flemish municipalities against the take-off procedures that have applied at Brussels Airport since October 2023. This news, first reported by L-Post in October, has now been confirmed by the airport.
Last year, Brussels Airport adapted its take-off procedures following the switch to a new navigation technique, in which aircraft are guided by satellites during take-off instead of having to navigate between fixed points. In 2018 and 2022, the airport carried out several tests to assess the effects of this change.
The Flemish region took the decision to court, protesting the European regulation of 18 July 2018 imposing that new navigation technique in Europe. Flanders argued that the new way of flying would shift the nuisance of aeroplanes from Brussels to the Flemish municipalities of Grimbergen, Meise and Wemmel.
Environmental impact
After the routes were published, the region protested more specifically against certain departure routes, such as the night-time diversion over the Brussels ring road, which would increase the environmental impact on the population of the Flemish municipalities.
Flanders' protest was upheld by the Brussels Court of First Instance in February, but the Court of Appeal ruled on 14 October that it has not been proven that the new take-off procedures cause additional cause health problems or noise pollution in the neighbouring Flemish municipalities.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO
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