The Criminal Court in Antwerp has acquitted Antwerp airport in a case alleging that the airport that is located in the Deurne district of the city had illegally extended its runway onto farmland. The Antwerp Criminal Court ruled that while the criminal proceedings brought against the airport were admissible, they were also unfounded.
The legal action had been taken against the French company Egis that operates Flanders’ two regional airports at Ostend (West Flanders) and Antwerp (Egis) and the Flemish Regional Airport Development Company (LOM). The prosecution accused the Antwerp airport of having extended its runway in 2014 without having obtained the necessary planning permission. Part of the runway extension that was carried out in an effort to attract larger aircraft went onto land that was supposed to be used for agriculture.
The public prosecutor had asked the court to issue fines to both Egis and LOM. However, the Antwerp Criminal Court ruled that the criminal case brought against the airport A was unfounded.
A civil action brought by the environmental organisation Bond Beter Leefmilieu, the municipal authorities in Mortsel and Borsbeek (both Antwerp Province) and the action group Verlenging Nooit was dismissed.
Antwerp airport’s operating permit expires in June this year. The public enquiry into a new permit application began on Thursday.