A French-speaking lower court of first instance in Brussels has once again ruled against the Belgian State for excessive noise caused by night flights over the capital from Brussels Airport in Zaventem.
The judgment confirms that the flights following a path across the city along the canals and around the ring road, landing on Brussels Airport's short runway 01 continue to generate unacceptable noise at night, significantly impacting residents' health and repeatedly violating Brussels' noise regulations.
For the second consecutive time, the court has decided to levy penalties on the Belgian State from €12,000 to €18,000 for severe breaches (more than 5 dB above the 2017 reference levels), with a maximum of €18 million per contested route.
In a significant escalation from previous rulings, the court has imposed specific deadlines for the State's remediation efforts for the nighttime disturbances, which will also be subject to financial penalties.
The State must now complete its final impact study by the specialised firm Envisa on the noise pollution by 26 June 2026, inform parties of concrete measures and deadlines to stop noise violations by 1 October 2026, and justify these decisions and deadlines by 1 December 2026.
Each delay will incur a penalty of €10,000 per day, with a maximum of €2 million per deadline.
Regional Environment and Climate Minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) welcomed this as an "significant victory" for the health of Brussels residents.
