The Brussels municipality of Schaarbeek is the third Brussels municipality to take legal action against a controversial new landing route on the approach to Brussels Airport. That route has been used much more intensively since last summer and is causing noise pollution for thousands of Brussels residents, particularly when the wind blows from the east or north-east.
Schaarbeek is the third Brussels municipality to challenge the new approach route in court. Koekelberg and Sint-Jans-Molenbeek have already taken legal action.
This new route, RNP-07L, directs landing aircraft along a narrow path over municipalities in the north of Brussels. It also affects Jette, Laken and Haren (City of Brussels) and Evere.
‘The problem is that airplanes are being put above the heads of people who didn’t have any there before,’ says acting Schaarbeek mayor Martin De Brabant.
It is difficult to say exactly how many Schaarbeek residents are affected. The mayor says he has asked the Brussels government to install noise meters, but these have not yet been fitted.
In March, Koekelberg mayor Olivia P’tito spoke of “sleepless nights for 450,000 Brussels residents”. Although that figure is perhaps somewhat exaggerated. In November, a ULB study commissioned by the Mobility Ministry estimated the number of people affected at 271,000.
Much louder than permitted
‘People living under the flight path are subjected to frequent flyovers,’ acknowledges Martine Van Riel, the Brussels Airport ombudswoman. ‘When the airport is busy, this can happen once every three to four minutes at what is, for them, a relatively low altitude, even though it complies with all aviation procedures.’
‘The noise pollution is very concentrated. It carries very clearly. I can imagine that it’s quite a shock if you’re not used to it.’
Moreover, that noise is also much louder than permitted. According to a ULB study, 96 per cent of flights on the RNP-07L route do not comply with Brussels’ noise standards. A “very high” number, the researchers concluded, “both during the day and at night”.
That noise is not only annoying, but also bad for your health, especially at night. It can lead to sleep issues, high blood pressure and (in extreme cases) cardiovascular disease.