Mayors request return to previous flight plan

A group of 26 mayors of the Flemish municipalities around Brussels have joined together to call on the Flemish and federal governments to find a solution to the problem of aircraft noise.

The mayors fear that a ruling by a court at the end of last month will lead to an increase in the numbers of aircraft flying over the belt of cities around Brussels, which has long complained of noise nuisance. A judge ordered the government to scrap two changes to flight routes, which means diverting aircraft away from Molenbeek, Anderlecht, Etterbeek and Oudergem. The loss of the two routes leaves only two other options in the meantime, and both take departing aircraft directly over belt municipalities.

A statement issued by the mayors warns that any increase in traffic may jeopardise “the delicate social support for the airport, which is a crucial economic engine for the region and for the country”.

They call for a return to the situation of a few years ago “under which a logical system of preferential runway use was in operation, allowing a spreading out of flight routes. Only in this way can peace return to the broad surrounding area of the airport and legal certainty be restored.” 

The federal government, which has authority over flight routes administered by Belgocontrol, has three months to come up with a solution or face a fine of €50,000 a day for non-compliance.

photo: Corbis