Elections 2024: Who should I vote for if I want to see restrictions on night flights at Brussels Airport?
In the run-up to the June elections, Belgium's political parties are staking out their positions on key issues. Today we look at where they stand on night flights at Brussels Airport.
At the end of March, after long debate, the Flemish government granted the airport operator an environmental permit.
There was no ban on night flights at Zaventem, as various groups had been calling for, but Environment minister Zuhal Demir put in place measures intended to limit the number of local people suffering sleep disturbance caused by the airport.
Although the airport is in Flemish Brabant, its operations, and in particular its runways, cause nuisance for people living in neighbouring municipalities such as Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. According to a report by the federal government’s mediation service, 30,000 aircraft flew over the municipality in 2022.
The conditions of the new permit are an attempt to balance economic and environmental concerns, but night flights – those taking off or landing between 23.00 and 7.00 – continue to be a major complaint for residents and are therefore an issue that concerns parties across the political spectrum.
The green party Groen and its francophone counterpart Ecolo are in favour of a total ban on night flights at Zaventem, as are francophone centrists Les Engagés.
Workers’ party PVDA/PTB doesn’t call for a ban but does want to see airlines obliged to use the newest, quietest aircraft to reduce noise pollution. Socialists Vooruit support restrictions of varying severity on night flights.
Flemish nationalists N-VA – the party of current Environment minister Demir – and liberals MR and Open VLD, meanwhile, support night flights as an essential part of the airport’s economic operations.
However, even the parties supporting night flights want to see stronger measures introduced to mitigate noise pollution as well as better engagement with the local community.
In the run-up to the elections for the federal, regional and European parliaments on 9 June, Belga English explains how the parties in Belgium want to address today’s challenges. Each day we put the spotlight on one issue. |
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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