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Brussels authorities not satisfied with new flight routes

11:09 08/05/2014

The Brussels Capital-Region will continue its fight against the federal government’s plan for flight routes from Brussels Airport over the city, despite changes made by secretary of state for mobility, Melchior Wathelet, in an effort to reduce noise nuisance.

The changes affect the new plan that Wathelet introduced in February, which resulted in numerous complaints about noise. The region’s environment minister, Evelyne Huytebroeck, has called for a return to the pre-February plan. She and the region’s minister-president, Rudi Vervoort, said they would seek a cancellation of the Wathelet plan in court.

According to a report by environmental organisation Leefmilieu Brussel, twice as many Brussels residents – an estimated 388,000 – were affected by noise nuisance after Wathelet’s changes than had been the case before. That figure includes people who had lived under a flight path previously but now had to put up with additional aircraft movements.

The changes led to a huge increase in complaints: 1,056 between February and April, compared to only nine in the same period last year.

Wathelet’s latest changes include a reduction in the number of daytime flights using the route over the district of Etterbeek, with none at all during the hours between 22.00 and 7.00. Instead, south-bound flights will use the so-called Ikea route over the eastbound E40. The changes also offer some relief to people living in Oudergem and Watermaal-Bosvoorde.

But Brussels authorities are not satisfied with the changes. “We have to look for a fair division of flights,” said Vervoort. “We’re not looking for a fight between Brussels and the periphery, but we have to defend the interests of the people of Brussels.”

Meanwhile the three Flemish deputy-prime ministers in the federal government – defence minister Pieter De Crem, economy minister Johan Vande Lanotte and pensions minister Alexander De Croo – have written to prime minister Elio Di Rupo asking him to address the issue at the council of ministers’ weekly meeting.

The theme is certain to play a role in the election campaign in Brussels. However, a court decision is not expected until after the elections on May 25.

Written by Alan Hope