In the ongoing saga of Brussels Airport and noise pollution, a new intervention from a Belgian federal mediator says that the European capital’s hub is guilty of “completely illegal” breaches of noise standards and night flight regulations.
The latest annual report from the airports ombudsman, Philippe Touwaide, notes that Brussels flouted federal aviation rules more than 1,317 times in 2025, with violations such as night-time flights taking place despite a ban and the use of daytime flight protocols at night. What’s more, the report finds the airport broke noise control rules set by the Brussels Capital Region a whopping 4,758 times in the first 10 months of the year alone, totalling more than 6,000 infractions.
Daytime flights added up to 187, 910, and there were 16,237 night flights over the year. Among the infringements were 200 night-time departures by a Boeing 777 cargo aircraft, which Touwaide called “completely illegal.” Remarkably, given the number of contraventions, the number of complaints received by the airport’s mediation service dropped, from 38,188 to 32,777, a 14.7% reduction.
Brussels Airport’s relationship with its surrounding neighbourhoods has long been fractious, with locals and campaign groups claiming a disproportionate impact on certain communities due to flight paths and pointing to the health and well-being impacts of noise pollution. A report by the Flemish Federation for a Better Environment (Bond Beter Leefmilieu) in 2023 found that 220,000 people were affected by noise pollution from the airport, and at the time, Belga news agency estimated that each night-time flight could cost the country up to €36,000 in health damage and social security costs.
The mediation service has received over 14,6 million complaints in its 25 year history, but less than 20% of the resulting noise pollution fines have been collected, according to an analysis published in early February 2026 by Le Soir, meaning that just six million euros out of penalties amounting to €32 million have been paid.
Touwaide urged airport authorities to show greater consideration for local residents and the law. “The directors of the company that manages the airport should ensure that court rulings and all the regulations are complied with and that the number of breaches is drastically reduced, especially at night,” he said.
Travel Tomorrow approached Brussels Airport for its comments in relation to the report’s findings and Touwaide’s recommendations. The airport spokesperson team pointed to the Federal Public Service for Mobility and the independent Slot Coordinator and said, “The airport operator is not competent for any of these areas. It is therefore not correct to present these points as ‘violations by Brussels Airport’.” The media team also highlighted the reduction in noise complaints, saying in 2025, “20,526 files were submitted by 2,285 different individuals,” which it claimed “is the key finding of the report and the matter for which the mediation service is responsible.”
