In 2026, Brussels Airport will be entering the fifth and final year of the Stargate project, aiming to make the aviation industry more sustainable. New initiatives are currently underway to launch the last phase of the project, including a second test project with a self-driving shuttle.
Since 2021, Brussels Airport has actively taken part in the Stargate project that is part of the European Green Deal. With a consortium of 22 partners, the airport has been working on concrete and innovative projects to make aviation more sustainable. With the help of €24.8 million in funding within the European Green Deal, sustainable initiatives were developed and put to the test.
Three main pillars made up the core of the Stargate project at Brussels Airport: decarbonisation of operations on the airport site, improvement of the quality of the local environment around the airport, and improvement of the modal split. With that in mind, several test projects were launched, such as a smart charging solution for electric rental cars at the airport, the chance for 100 households located close to the airport to receive green energy provided by Brussels Airport, and the launch of a multimodal journey planner.
Inspiring press trip organised by DG ENER to explore the #EU #HorizonEU #Transport #STARGATE Green Airports project at @BrusselsAirport yesterday. Great to see innovations in cleaner aviation – from autonomous shuttles to e-GSE and sustainable refuelling. https://t.co/uGoEhVpoJG pic.twitter.com/nJmXAdiN7F
— CINEA 🇪🇺 (@cinea_eu) December 9, 2025
The final phase
The Stargate project now enters its final phase, but several innovative projects are still to come. After a successful pilot project that tested a 100% self-driving, electric shuttle airside from the end of 2024 to the start of 2025, a second phase of the test project is currently underway, where the shuttle drives from the terminal to a staff car park on the airport site. A new demo will also take place in 2026, using an autonomous vehicle to transport cargo across the tarmac.
The previously mentioned energy-sharing initiative in collaboration with energy platform Bolt is scheduled to run until February 2026, after which it will be evaluated. Approximately 9,200 megawatt-hours of green energy is currently being produced on-site at Brussels Airport using solar panels.
Finally, a mobile blending plant will be tested, in collaboration with Skytanking, making it possible to blend sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with kerosene for test flights using high-ratio SAF blends.
Over the course of the Stargate project at Brussels Airport, the environmental impact of all (planned) projects will be measured and analysed, including carbon emissions and noise impact. This should make it possible to determine the overall impact of the innovative solutions and how they might be able to shape the aviation industry in the future.
