The annual report by the Federal Airport Mediation Service says that Brussels Airport at Zaventem in Flemish Brabant often breaches night flight and noise standard regulations. The report was published on Wednesday morning.
Breaches of night flight and noise standard regulations a regular occurrence at Brussel Airport
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The Airport Ombudsman Philippe Touwaide counted at least 1,317 violations of federal regulations at the airport last year. These included aircraft flying at night despite a ban being in force, failure to comply with rules to ensure less noise nuisance during the night and the use of a daytime take-off procedures during nighttime.
In addition to the breaches of federal regulations, there were also 4,758 violations of the Brussels-Capital Region’s noise level standards during the first 10 months of 2025.
Breaches include 200 night-time take-offs by a Boeing 777 cargo aircraft. This is described in the report as being “completely illegal”.
Meanwhile, tensions are mounting between federal authorities and mayors in Brussels and some municipalities in Flemish Brabant regarding flight paths over densely populated areas.
Earlier this month, the Francophone daily ‘Le Soir’ reported that less than 20% of the fines imposed for noise nuisance from aircraft using Brussels Airport since 2000 had actually been collected.
Mr Touwaide calls for respect for the people that live near to the airport. “The directors of the company that manages the airport should ensure that court rulings and all the regulations are compiled with and that the number of breaches is drastically reduced, especially at night”.