Charleroi and Liège airports granted environmental permits
The Walloon government has granted new environmental permits to the airports of Charleroi and Liège, it announced on Tuesday.
The permit for Brussels South Charleroi Airport is valid for 20 years. It includes measures to reduce the number of flights after 23.00 and variable airport taxes “to encourage airlines to adopt environmentally friendly behaviour”, according to the government.
“The renewal of our permit is a decisive step for Brussels South Charleroi Airport,” said CEO Christophe Segaert. “It confirms the strategic importance of our activity for Wallonia and our commitment to reconciling development and responsibility.”
Cargo hub
The government also granted a new permit to Liège Airport. Following a negative opinion from the auditor at the Council of State, the previously approved permit was withdrawn and an amended permit issued.
Charleroi, with Ryanair as its largest airline, welcomed more than 10 million passengers for the first time last year. Liège is the country’s largest cargo airport. It handled more than 1.16 million tons of freight in 2024.
Last week, Belgium’s Council for Permit Disputes annulled the environmental permit for Brussels Airport granted last year. The council ruled that key restrictions, namely an annual cap on flights and stricter rules on night-time operations, violate European law.
The ruling supports the case of Brussels Airlines, which had argued that these limitations would undermine their business operations and that the mandatory EU consultation process, known as the balanced approach, had not been followed.
Charleroi Airport © BELGA PHOTO VIRGINIE LEFOUR
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