Why the infrastructure of Brussels National is in NO BETTER SHAPE than Belgocontrol's  

Dear N-VA Representative,

While yesterday's power cut at Zaventem was a combination of misconduct and insufficient upgrade of Belconcontrol's electrical systems, you should know that Brussels National Airport is in no better shape regarding its main line of business

The recent and non-partisan benchmark conducted across 51 key airports in Europe shows that not only Brussels National is among the worst airports for its human environment, but also THE ONLY ONE where no serious improvement measure has been taken for years.

All airports surveyed except for Brussels-National (Zaventem) have taken strong measures to reduce the environmental impact caused whenever planes fly low over densely populated areas.  The airports have:

- built new runways (Frankfurt, Madrid, Schiphol...)

- moved some or all activities to a new airport (Athens, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Milano, Munich, Oslo, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, Wien...) 

- moved some or all activities to a new airport (Athens, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Milano, Munich, Oslo, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, Wien...)

- set-up night curfews (Basel, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Luxemburg, Munich, Paris-Orly, Zürich...)

- charged aircraft fees based on noise levels (75% of all airports apart from low-cost airports)

- dedicated specific programs to housing buy-backs and noise-insulation (the same 75% airports)

The executive summary included herewith describes the key measures taken by all 50 other airports.  Only BIAC has been 'greedy enough' to do nothing, nor initiate nothing.  For example, Frankfurt airport has built a new runway as early as 1984, set-up a full night curfew in 2011, and taken-over the management of the Frankfurt-Hahn low-cost airport.  Schiphol alone has spent almost 600 M€ in housing buy-backs and noise insulation programs

For the sake of Brussels National, it's time to shake things up:

1. A full night curfew from 10 PM to 7 AM is a public health issue which will not damage the business.

2. Cargo and low-cost flights must be outsourced - Zoersel/Oostmalle is the right answer within Flanders

3. New runways must be planned further east of Zaventem, or elsewhere such as in Beauvechain or Eksaarde.

Best Regards,

Jean-Noel Lebrun

www.coeur-europe.be

+32 4 71 31 69 15

 

Geachte heer Lebrun,

Dank voor uw bericht. Op uw drie voorstellen kunnen wij, de N-VA-fractie, het volgende antwoorden:

1. Een uitbreiding van het nachtregime zou wel degelijk economische schade veroorzaken en bovendien ook toekomstige groeimogelijkheden fnuiken.

Such statement is both an economic oversight/mis-conception and a negation of Belgian citizen human rights

It is a misconception because night flights bring very little economic benefits

- night flights are forbidden in Frankfurt while Frankfurt remains the largest cargo platform in Europe

- most German airports have forbidden night flights, and German economy is still doing quite well

- idem for Swiss and Luxembourg Airports

It is a negation of Belgian Citizen Human Rights because when you want to grow the activity of a SEVESO CLASS business, you start by moving it further away from town - everywhere else in Europe is sound business conducted under this principle

2. Het businessmodel van Brussels Airlines combineert cargo- en personenvluchten. Dit is niet vatbaar voor een opsplitsing van de activiteiten

It is a negation of Belgian Citizen Human Rights because when you want to grow the activity of a SEVESO CLASS business, you start by moving it further away from town - everywhere else in Europe is sound business conducted under this principle

No problem with combining cargo and passengers, but just no cargo during the night.

And if you look at DHL Brussels and compare its activity with other locations, you must acknowledge that DHL operates at night in Germany from airports much further away from towns

- DHL flights out of Leipzig-Halle fly over nobody during 10 kilometers  http://www.flightradar24.com/51.43,12.07/11

- DHL flights out of Francfort-Hahn fly over 500 people during 10 kilometers  http://www.flightradar24.com/49.96,7.21/11

- DHL flights out of Bonn/Cologne fly over less than 20,000 people on average during 10 kilometers http://www.flightradar24.com/50.87,7.1/11

3. Investeringen in nieuwe start- en landingsbanen zijn vooralsnog niet aan de orde. Eventuele toekomstige investeringen in volledig nieuwe banen zal onderwerp moeten uitmaken van grondige voorstudies, zoals de ruimtelijke ordening in Vlaanderen voorziet

Flanders already has with Zoersel/Oostmalle a very fine 2,980 meter long runway, plus its taxiway.  This airport is today completely underused and offers lots of opportunities, 28 km away from Antwerp: just put it under the management of Brussels National

Very few people live nearby:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Zoersel,+Belgique/@51.2653985,4.7532881,2305m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x47c40001caf74511:0x40099ab2f4d6010

Please do note that MOST other airports and european capitals have invested to build new runways or move away from town:

http://www.coeur-europe.be/images/Comparatif/LivreNoir-ExecutiveSummary.pdf

Please do note that MOST other airports and european capitals have invested to build new runways or move away from town

Brussels citizen should not be considered anymore as second-class citizen, nor should the N-VA consider Brussels as Europe's garbage can for noise & ultra-fine-particles

Brussels citizen should not be considered anymore as second-class citizen, nor should the N-VA consider Brussels as Europe's garbage can for noise & ultra-fine-particles

Perhaps would you prefer to further develop such highly polluting activities at the Mortsel-Antwerpen Luchthaven?