Supreme Health Council wants a ban on night flights at Brussels Airport

The Supreme Health Council advocates abolishing night flights at Brussels Airport. Due to frequent exposure to night noise and particulate matter, 160,000 local residents are at increased risk of all kinds of health problems, the advisory body states in a report.

At the request of the federal Ministers of Health and Mobility, Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) and Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo), the Superior Health Council examined the extent to which air traffic from Brussels Airport affects the health of residents around the airport. The scientific advisory body of the Federal Public Health Service is proposing a complete ban on night flights for the first time.

At the end of March, Flemish Minister of the Environment Zuhal Demir (NV-A) granted Brussels Airport a new environmental permit for an indefinite period. She was linked to conditions. A night flight ban was not part of this, to the relief of employers’ organization Voka and cargo companies such as DHL, among others.

The Supreme Health Council now advocates in a new advice to abolish night flights between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., ‘to prevent sleep disturbance and to allow sufficient night’s sleep’. “In the area around Brussels Airport, approximately 160,000 people are at a higher health risk due to exposure to excessive noise levels,” it said.

The council calls for more studies to better map the health effects. ‘They must relate exposure levels to noise and air pollution to medical data that are already available.’ In addition, indicators should be developed that focus on how often aircraft fly over and how loud they are during each overflight rather than looking at average noise levels.

Noise pollution and air pollution are the biggest culprits according to the Supreme Health Council. Noise pollution can lead to feelings of irritation and sleep problems. Research also shows that there is a link with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, delayed learning in school children and a negative impact on mental well-being, which increases the risk of depression.

Air pollution is also not without consequences. The exposure to particulate matter near the runways, especially in the northeast of the airport, is much too high. “In the short term, this can lead to reduced lung function and changes in heart rhythm,” the report states. ‘In the long term, there is a link with more cardiovascular disease, but also with negative birth outcomes such as lower birth weight.’

In response, Gilkinet states that ‘Brussels should not become the noise bin of Europe.’ He calls on the parties involved to support his proposals, including banning night flights.

Vandenbroucke also sees ‘no future for nighttime activities at an airport in this densely populated region’. He says he is in favor of a ‘realistic but systematic reduction in night flights, with flights with the noisiest aircraft being stopped first. At night you have to let people sleep.’

The current environmental permit of Brussels Airport is not affected by the advice of the Health Council, as it is not binding. “The permit remains what it is, and is already aiming for quieter nights,” Demir’s office said.

A few weeks ago it also became known that the Brussels Environment Minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) wanted to start a conflict of interest against the environmental permit that Demir issued. ‘Maron’s appeal has not yet been submitted. But if necessary, the permit will be defended in court. If it is destroyed, it will be a tragedy for tens of thousands of families,” Demir said.