• Brussels Airport emphasises the Balanced Approach procedure as a way to establish a legally sound and coherent operational framework that supports sustainable growth while reducing noise and environmental impact.
• The procedure requires setting realistic noise reduction targets, exploring efficient measures such as fleet renewal, flight paths, and land use planning, and considering operating restrictions only if other measures are insufficient.
• Achieving a 30 percent reduction in noise disturbance by 2032 is a key goal, while maintaining the airport’s economic role, connectivity, and ability to grow daytime flights, with ongoing investments in CO2 reduction, air quality, and noise mitigation.

At the launch of the Balanced Approach procedure, Brussels Airport stresses the importance of a stable and coherent operational framework that provides legal certainty and enables sustainable growth, while realistically reducing the impact on the environment. The airport does warn that the very stringent noise reduction targets set by the governments will require drastic measures. The Balanced Approach procedure is European regulation that determines how noise reduction should be addressed. Last year, Brussels Airport’s environmental permit was revoked because it contained strict operating restrictions without applying this procedure. The Flemish and federal governments are now jointly rolling out this procedure so the Flemish government can lawfully take a new decision concerning the permit application of Brussels Airport. Brussels Airport will cooperate actively and constructively to enable sustainable growth and reduced nuisance.

The balanced approach

Brussels Airport sees the Balanced Approach procedure as an important opportunity for policymakers to arrive at a legally sound, stable and coherent operational framework that gives the entire industry more clarity for the future. The measures from the now-annulled environmental permit, the difference in rules between the regional and federal governments and disputes over flight paths create a lot of uncertainty. This uncertainty can be eliminated by correctly applying the European Balanced Approach procedure to ensure coherent regulations between different authorities and a new environmental permit for the airport.

It is also important to complete the procedure in a timely manner. The Council for Permit Disputes, which revoked the environmental permit for the airport, gave the Flemish Minister for the Environment until 30 June 2029 to fully implement the European procedure and to take a new decision regarding the permit application. In the meantime, the airport can continue its operations as usual. Brussels Airport will, of course, actively and constructively cooperate in this procedure to reach realistic and feasible solutions.

Sustainable growth with less nuisance at the forefront

For Brussels Airport, it is crucial that this operational framework allows for sustainable development of the airport in the short and the long term. This means that the airport should be able to continue to grow in daytime flights (between 6am and 11pm) in line with market demand and economic growth, while also reducing its noise impact on the surrounding area.

As a hub airport, Brussels Airport ensures Belgium’s connectivity with the rest of the world and is the country’s second-largest economic driver, accounting for 64,000 jobs and 2% of GDP. Brussels Airport’s ability to continue to fulfil this role is crucial to the whole society. A clear development perspective is therefore necessary so that the airport can remain attractive to airlines, continue to invest in sustainable development and continue to offer a strong intercontinental and intra-European network for passengers and cargo, ensuring employment, investments and wealth creation.

At the same time, Brussels Airport also aims to further reduce its impact on the environment. Between 2000 and 2024, the number of people who are potentially severely affected by noise had already decreased by 61%. In the coming years, the impact of noise from the airport will continue to decrease, thanks to newer, quieter aircraft, more efficient procedures and the construction of additional noise barriers. In addition, Brussels Airport is investing heavily in local air quality and CO2 reduction and aims to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2030 for its own activities as airport operator (Net Zero Carbon).

Stringent noise targets require impactful measures

With the introduction of the new procedure, Brussels Airport states that the strict noise reduction targets imposed by the authorities as part of the Balanced Approach procedure will require major efforts and far-reaching measures. These measures are intended to achieve 30% reduction in the number of people highly annoyed by noise and highly sleep disturbed by 2032 compared to 2019. And that while the environmental impact report accompanying the licence application put forward a noise reduction of 10% for the highly annoyed and 15% for the highly sleep disturbed. That is already a significant reduction, made possible by the substantial efforts of the entire airport community. Therefore, to achieve a 30% reduction, far-reaching additional measures will be necessary.

Brussels Airport has always argued for well-justified and realistic noise reduction targets. It is crucial that measures on fleet renewal, land use planning, flight paths and runway are now considered first, as required by the European procedure. Following the European rules, additional operating restrictions may only be considered if all other measures are insufficient. In any case, it is important to ensure that the airport’s connectivity, its economic role and employment are protected, while also allowing for sustainable growth in daytime flights.

European Balanced Approach procedure

In July 2025, the Licensing Disputes Board decided to annul the airport’s environmental permit, which had been granted in March 2024, on the grounds that it violated European law. This licence contained new strict operating restrictions, such as a cap on the number of flight movements. European Regulation 598/2014 requires the Balanced Approach procedure to be applied in full before such operating restrictions can be imposed.

This procedure requires first setting a noise reduction target and then seeking the most efficient measures to achieve it in consultation with all stakeholders. Operating restrictions should only be considered if other measures prove to be insufficient. The economic impact must also be taken into account to arrive at a cost-effective and balanced package of measures. The procedure includes a public consultation and a recommendation from the European Commission, after which the measures will be anchored in regulations and where applicable in the environmental permit.