Belgian Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet has denounced the significant increase in flights between Belgian airports over the past few years, claiming that they constitute an "economic and ecological absurdity".
According to data published by Le Soir and other media outlets, a total of 1,822 intra-Belgium flights were taken last year – an increase of more than 100 since 2019, when 1,713 such trips were taken.
The increase was almost exclusively a result of a rise in private jet trips, which accounted for 71% of all intra-Belgium flights last year, up from 55% in 2019.
"These ultra-short flights are an absurdity both from an ecological and economic point of view," Gilkinet exclaimed. "They are also a social injustice as they are mostly private jets, reserved for a privileged minority who take a plane as if they were taking a taxi."
Belgian Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet. Credit: Belga / Dirk Waem
Gilkinet further noted that many of the flights were taken between cities less than 100 kilometres apart. In particular, approximately 402 flights were taken between the airports of Liège and Brussels (distance: 85 km), while 273 were taken between Charleroi and Brussels (55 km) and 242 between Antwerp and Brussels (32 km).
'We must show ambition'
As a member of the French-speaking greens (Ecolo) – one of the 'Vivaldi' Federal Government's seven coalition parties – Gilkinet also highlighted domestic flights' extremely harmful impact on the environment.
According to the non-profit Transport & Environment, private jets are up to 14 times more polluting per passenger than commercial planes, and 50 times more polluting than trains. Indeed, in just one hour, a typical private jet emits a quarter of the CO2-equivalent pollution that the average person produces over an entire year.
"In terms of climate, we must show ambition and above all common sense if we want to be effective and mobilise private and economic stakeholders," Gilkinet said. "These short-distance flights completely contradict current environmental and public health guidelines. [...] They are pushing us away from a sustainable and responsible transport policy."
"At the dawn of the European Presidency, I hope that Belgium will lead the way," the Minister added.
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Gilkinet has since introduced draft legislation that would effectively ban all intra-Belgium flights, as well as flights to airports located less than 25 kilometres from the Belgian border. L'Echo reports that the proposal will likely be vehemently opposed by the Flemish Regional Government, which fears that it will have a negative impact on the local airline industry.
The Mobility Minister's proposal comes as a recent joint investigation by La Libre and other Belgian media outlets found that, since assuming office, Belgium's political leaders have travelled a total of 2.67 million kilometres – equivalent to 67 full circumnavigations of the globe – on 561 separate plane trips.
In the process, they emitted 1,512 tonnes of CO2: an amount which corresponds to the average annual carbon footprint of 150 of their fellow citizens.
