The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has emphasised its opposition to a proposed ban on night flights at Brussels Zaventem airport. The proposal is premature as it ignores Belgium’s international obligations under the Balanced Approach to noise, including bilateral air service agreements and which is also enshrined in EU law. The Balanced Approach explicitly states that flight restrictions should be applied as a last resort, only after a detailed consultation and cost-benefit analysis, and when the noise benefits to be gained from other possible measures of the Balanced Approach have been exhausted.
Moreover, any night flight ban at Brussels Zaventem airport would have a negative impact on the Belgian economy, and for air connectivity. Many of the flights that would be impacted by a night ban are cargo flights. Belgium is particularly strong in pharmaceutical exports which rely on air transport for rapid, time-and-temperature controlled shipment, in which Zaventem is a world class leader. In terms of air connectivity, the airport facilitates a modest but important number of night flight connections. Among the routes that would be threatened by a ban are connections to Africa – one of the world’s fastest growing economic regions, said a release.