The Brussels Court of First Instance has ordered the Belgian State to put an end to the "misuse" of runway 01 at Brussels Airport, which has for years been the cause of tensions. Local residents must also be compensated for the nuisance caused.
On Friday, the court in Brussels ruled in favour of approximately 1,400 claimants from the municipalities of Kraainem, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Sterrebeek and Wezembeek-Oppem was admissible, La Libre reports.
The plaintiffs requested an end to the "unlawful" use of runway 01 – the shortest runway at Brussels Airport – and compensation for the nuisance caused. Residents of the surrounding municipalities reportedly face noise levels of up to 80 decibels when the runway is in use.
Residents' health at stake
This runway’s use has caused significant noise disturbances during landings for the residents near the airport. The court found the Belgian State at fault for "not clarifying wind standards related to the use of this runway" and stressed that the runway could only be used during specific weather conditions, as per international definitions.
At the end of the hearing, the court ordered the Belgian State to take the necessary measures to put an end to the current use of runway 01, with a fine of €20,000 per day of unjustified use of the runway. The court also ordered the State to pay damages to the plaintiffs totalling approximately €6.8 million.
It is not the first time that the State has been convicted in such a case: in 2020, 321 claimants had already received compensation on the same grounds, following a ruling by the Brussels Court of Appeal.
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"The State had already been sentenced to stop the unlawful use of runway 01, but never complied with the verdict, it only paid compensation," Elisabeth de Foestraets told La Libre. She is a spokesperson for 'Wake Up Kraainem,' one of two local residents' associations, together with Awacss-Wezembeek, that started the court case.
“This problem has been going on for 20 years and local residents cannot take it anymore – their health is at stake," said Foestraets. "We have tried to talk to the authorities outside of court, but we never feel that we were listened to."
