The Auditor of the Belgium’s Council of State has given a negative advice on the renewal of the operating licence for Liège Regional Airport at Bierset. According to a report in the Francophone business newspaper ‘L'Echo’, the airport will have to cease operations immediately if the Walloon regional authorities follow the advice given by the Auditor.
Council of State Auditor advises against granting Liège Airport a new operating licence
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The current operating licence for the Liège Airport was issued at the beginning of 2023. It provides for 55,000 flight movements per year.
However, in the motivation given when the application for the operating licence was made, the Walloon Environment Minister Céline Tellier (Ecolo) only provided for 50,000 flight movement per annum. 5,000 extra flight movements were later added as a result of political horse-trading within the regional government coalition.
A number of municipal authorities in Liège Province and in both the Dutch and Flemish provinces of Limburg to took the matter to the Belgian Council of State in Brussels. They feared that the number of night flights at Bierset would increase.
Will the advice be followed?
Liège Regional Airport is a cargo airport with important hubs for international cargo carriers. The airport operator at Liège Airport has now asked the Walloon regional government not to follow the advice given by the Council of State. Although, advice given by the Council of State is not binding, it is often taken into consideration by lawmakers.
While the Francophone greens would like to reconsider the number of flight movements, the Francophone liberal Walloon Infrastructure Minister Adrien Dolimont, who is also responsible for the region’s airports, opposes this.