Flanders gives green light to conflict of interest inquiry in Boeing 777 DHL case
The Flemish government has approved an investigation into a possible conflict of interest over restrictions on parcel carrier DHL operating night flights at Brussels Airport. The outgoing Flemish minister for the periphery, Ben Weyts (N-VA), proposed looking into the dispute.
DHL uses Boeing 777 aircraft at Brussels Airport. These are "relatively large planes that can fly more quietly because DHL does not have to load them completely full", said Weyts. "Because these are large aircraft, there has been an exemption for DHL in the night flight regulations for the last 10 years."
According to Weyts, the federal Mobility minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) "secretly" circulated a new instruction that prevents Boeing 777 aircraft from landing or taking off in Zaventem.
Weyts says Gilkinet drafted an order a few days after the June elections. "This lifted the exemption for DHL. As a result, DHL would no longer be allowed to operate night flights with the Boeing 777," Weyts said.
"DHL would have to replace the Boeing 777s with aircraft such as the Airbus A300. This is a smaller aircraft and therefore has to be loaded much more heavily. The noise pollution from this type of night flight can be 60 per cent higher."
Weyts asked the Flemish government to declare a conflict of interest against the directive. This was done on Friday during an electronic Council of Ministers.
A conflict of interest is a formal conflict between different institutions of the country where one of the entities feels its interests are seriously harmed by the actions of another. When an institution invokes a conflict of interest, the actions in question are suspended to allow for consultations.
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO IMAGEBROKER
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