Brussels judge overturns air routes in Wathelet plan

A court in Brussels has overturned two flight routes of planes taking off from Brussels Airport which formed part of the so-called Wathelet Plan by outgoing federal secretary of state for transport, Melchior Wathelet. The case was brought by an association of Brussels residents called Pas Question, who spoke of a “total victory”.

The routes are the Canal Route, which passes over Brussels, skirting Evere and Schaarbeek/Schaerbeek, and flying over Molenbeek and Anderlecht, and the so-called Bend to the Right Route, which overflies Evere and Schaarbeek/Schaerbeek before swinging to the south-east and flying over Etterbeek, Oudergem/Auderghem, Sint-Pieters-Woluwe/Woluwe-Saint-Pierre and Watermaal-Bosvoorde/Watermael-Boitsfort.

The court agreed with the arguments of opponents, including the Brussels-Capital Region, that the incidence of breaches of European rules on aircraft noise had increased greatly with the introduction of the two new routes.

The judge also said the government had failed to comply with European rules on public consultation by changing the flight routes (in February) without adequate public debate.

The federal government now has 30 days to scrap the routes or face a fine of €50,000 for each day it fails to comply, up to a maximum of €36 million. Pas Question said the ruling was “an enormous relief and the end to a nightmare in which thousands of people in Brussels have been trapped for 175 days.”

Former Brussels environment minister Evelyne Huytebroeck, who was in office when the changes were made, said the case was “an important victory for the people of Brussels, thanks to the steadfastness of organisations, municipalities and regional government”.

Wathelet has now been replaced by Catherine Fonck, who said the federal government would not appeal the ruling, although there are few alternatives that can be achieved within the 30-day deadline. Those include the existing routes over the Ring and over the E40, the so-called Ikea Route.

Illustration courtesy De Standaard