Belgium may increase its night flights following the announcement of Amsterdam airport to prohibit take-offs between midnight and 6 am. The management of Brussels Airport has stated that there will be one million Dutch travelers in the summer of 2023, and companies such as Corendon and Transavia will come with additional flights to Brussels. However, this situation worries the federal mediator as the new destinations will be taken from the north of Brussels, which risks unbalancing the current distribution and creating a new community conflict. The Minister of Mobility aims to reduce noise pollution and prevent Brussels-National from becoming Europe’s sound dustbin. Decibels from night flights have a negative effect on health, with WHO stating that one can suffer from sleep disturbance from 40 decibels. Around Zaventem airport, a study estimates that 200,000 people are bothered by aircraft noise and nearly half of them see their sleep severely disturbed. These health effects come at a cost of approximately €36,000 per night flight, which corresponds to health costs related to sleep disorders and cardiovascular diseases.
Will Belgium increase its night flights? It may be a consequence of this announcement from Amsterdam airport to prohibit take-offs between midnight and 6 am. Does Brussels airport intend to recover this market? “The management of Brussels Airport has announced that there will be one million Dutch travelers in the summer of 2023“, indicates Philippe Touwaide, director of the federal mediation service of Brussels-National.And, on the other hand, the companies Corendon and Transavia will come with additional flights to Brussels.“
This situation worries the federal mediator. “The new destinations will be taken from the north of Brussels“, he indicates. “These additional thefts risk unbalancing the current distribution and that it risks creating a new community conflict.“
“Avoid Brussels-National becoming Europe’s sound trash can”
The Minister of Mobility, for his part, ensures that he wants to reduce noise pollution. “I watch with interest what is happening in Amsterdam“, says Georges Gilkinet. “Removing or reducing traffic during the night seems to me to be an interesting lead. We must prevent Brussels-National from becoming Europe’s sound dustbin.“
For the past week, a variable charge system has been in effect in order to encourage companies to use less noisy aircraft.
Health effects
Because the World Health Organization rightly states that these night flights have a negative effect on health. According to her, one can suffer from sleep disturbance from 40 decibels. Around Zaventem airport, a study estimates that 200,000 people are bothered by aircraft noise. Nearly half of them see their sleep severely disturbed.
These health effects come at a cost. 36,000 euros per night flight according to the study. An amount that corresponds to health costs related to sleep disorders and cardiovascular diseases.
In conclusion, the announcement from Amsterdam airport to prohibit take-offs between midnight and 6 am may have consequences for Brussels airport. With the possibility of one million Dutch travelers in the summer of 2023 and additional flights from companies like Corendon and Transavia, there are concerns about unbalancing the current distribution and creating community conflicts. The Minister of Mobility has expressed his interest in reducing noise pollution and preventing Brussels-National from becoming Europe’s sound dustbin. Moreover, night flights have negative health effects, as stated by the World Health Organization, and come at a cost of 36,000 euros per night flight. It is crucial to consider these factors when making decisions about night flights and their impact on communities and individuals’ health.