We are aware that the Strategic Vision 2040 will have an impact on those who live close to the airport, now and in the future. The noise pollution around an airport depends on the number of aircraft but also on many other factors, including the length of the runways, the aircraft type, the engines, the weight of the aircraft and the weather. For example, heavier aircraft will need a longer runway, and will thus fly lower over surrounding areas than lighter aircraft. New aircraft have quieter and more powerful engines, allowing them to take off more quickly and steeply. This means that the noise level perceived on the ground is lower than that of older aircraft.

Aircraft take off and land against the wind. So this determines which areas are overflown. Over the past twenty years, increasing numbers of new, quieter aircraft have been introduced. The different airlines are doing everything they can to renew their fleets. This was shown recently with the purchase of the Boeing 737 MAX by the airline TUI Fly. In addition, Brussels Airport Company encourages all its clients to continue investing in new generation aircraft, and to use these aircraft on routes from and to Brussels. So the newest long-distance Boeing aircraft, the B787 Dreamliner, is a common sight at the airport thanks to TUI Fly and Ethiopian. The newest Airbus aircraft, including the A350, are used on a daily basis at Brussels Airport by Qatar and Thai Airways.

Air noise calculations show that, provided aircraft become quieter as a result of technological progress, the number of individuals potentially highly annoyed will be smaller. However, this does not mean that there will be a reduction everywhere. With respect to ground noise, the impact of an extended taxiway or runway is heavily dependent on the location. The largest increase in noise disturbance will be measured in the vicinity of  the extension. In this case the noise pollution can be efficiently mitigated by building a noise barrier between the runway and the areas adjacent to the airport site. The increase in noise disturbance for options 2A and 2B, with and without a noise barrier, is available in the tables in the presentations.

It would be perfectly logical to apply a stable operational framework to the whole of the country. That would also result in fairer competition: in that way, all Belgian airports would have to follow the same rules. However, in our federal State structure, the environment is a regional matter. That’s the point taken as a basis by the Brussels Region in setting noise-level standards unilaterally. For the local residents too, stability and predictability are important aspects. And that’s why it’s vital for the regions and federal government to succeed in reaching an agreement on this subject.

The Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij - VMM (Flemish Environment Agency) carries out measurements of ultrafine particles, and concluded the following:

• The concentration of fine particles (PM10) is not higher close to Brussels Airport.
• Road traffic, and not the airport, is the main source of black carbon (measure of soot content) at the four measurement points.

The measurements carried out by the VMM can be followed online.

The extension of the airport and the resulting increase in fuel consumption will obviously lead to an increase in emissions of unburned hydrocarbons (including derivatives of benzene, xylene, etc.). Due to technological improvements in aircraft engines, it is expected that the relative fuel use for the same type of aircraft will drop further, as will the concentration of unburned hydrocarbons.

Based on the expected growth of the aviation sector over the next 25 years, Brussels Airport will welcome around 40 million passengers (including connecting passengers) by 2040. In order to improve the accessibility and mobility around the airport as much as possible, our aim is to achieve a 50-50 modal split by 2040. This means that only 50% of journeys to the airport will still take place using private vehicles. So we are focussing fully on public transport, shuttle buses, shared transport such as car-sharing, and better cycle routes. By doing this, Brussels Airport Company is following the goal of Flanders and Belgium: reducing individual car use.

In order to encourage the use of public transport, Brussels Airport is planning to develop an integrated hub for all means of transport in the terminal. Passengers will have direct access to the departures hall and commuters will be able to easily transfer from one mode of transport to another. This intermodal hub will be further developed by implementing extra train and bus services, two new tram lines and the construction of a network of cycle routes. The car-sharing service will also be developed further. In this way, passengers and commuters will have more options to travel to the airport, so they can easily adjust their route.

This varied range of transport modes offered in order to achieve the goal is a real benefit for the region around the airport. In the future too, cars will account for a large share of journeys to and from the airport. To further relieve the Brussels Ring Road, a new access road in the south area of the airport is a possible solution. But in the future, Brussels Airport Company, together with De Lijn, SNCB/NMBS and STIB/MIVB, wants to improve the accessibility of the airport and better match the transport offer to the needs of employees and passengers. The airport wants to strengthen its position as an intermodal hub, so that it benefits the entire region.

The wide variety of all kinds of extra services provided makes things easy for the user. For example, the decentralised baggage drop-off, the remote parking solutions for passengers and airport staff, the free airport shuttle, and much more.

Brussels Airport Company, together with De Lijn, SNCB/NMBS and STIB/MIVB, intends to improve the accessibility of the airport and better match the transport offer to the needs of employees and passengers. The airport wants to strengthen its position as an intermodal hub, so that it benefits the entire region.

Together with our transport partners, we are working on improving the connections from, to and within the airport site. To this end, we are mainly focusing on:

• Increasing the frequency of existing services.
• Increasing the number of towns, both in Belgium and in the surrounding countries, with direct connections to the airport.
• Improving the timetables, with the aim of also guaranteeing optimum public transport services and connectivity with the airport in the early morning and late evening.
• Improving the service: for example by making it possible to travel on different transport networks with a single ticket, providing a baggage drop-off at train stations, and sufficient storage space for luggage on trains.
• Offering as many means of transport as possible: we’re focusing on (high-speed) trains, trams, buses, car-sharing and improved cycle routes to the airport. Within the airport perimeter, we’re planning an automated shuttle connection. This way, passengers, employees and visitors can choose from a wide range of transport modes and connections between the different modes.

The above developments are an important part of the solution for mobility on the access roads around the airport and around Brussels. This is not only important for passengers and employees, but also for commuters.

The expected growth of cargo activities, on the other hand, can be met with a direct access to the E19. This will help to avoid rat-running in the surrounding area as much as possible. In this way, we also prevent further congestion of the Ring, and provide an additional access to the airport. For that matter, in the Strategic Vision 2040, it is not assumed per se that this will be a road connection. It is possible that a branch of the E19 will be created that connects to a drop-off area, from which passengers can transfer to the shuttle systems that operate on the airport site. Using the train or other transport modes for these cargo activities is technically very difficult, given that this cargo is often time critical, and of high value. We do need to consider that transporters will be able to organise their transportation more efficiently in the future.

With regard to the increase in the number of parking spaces at and around the airport, we are working on remote parking solution further away from the airport. In addition, on the airport site itself, a concept is being presented consisting of multi-storey car parks in the terminal area and at Brucargo. Connections with the terminal will then be carried out by an (automated) shuttle system. The first automated shuttles are already expected in a test setup in around 2020.

Many companies will want to move to the airport, there is a lot of room for property developments, etc. Where will all these people be able to park their cars? Brussels Airport will undertake a limited expansion of the parking facilities at the airport. We are primarily looking at car parks a little farther away from the terminal, such as a car park at Brucargo and also to the south of the airport. From there, car drivers/passengers can travel to the terminal on an airport shuttle. In addition, we also want to cooperate with the public transport operators to construct and expand car parks at important junctions. 

The construction of car parks will be linked to the growth of the airport. They will only be built when we experience that the existing car parks are no longer sufficient for the growing number of passengers and employees. We will continue to stimulate a greater use of public transport, shared transport and use of the bicycle.

The long-term growth projection for air traffic (worldwide) as predicted by IATA and aircraft manufacturers, will be an average of about 3.8% growth per year for passenger transport and 4.7% for cargo. Our goal at Brussels Airport Company is not to exceed this market growth. But it is impossible to continue guaranteeing the viability of the airport if we cannot grow in line with the market. The infrastructure adaptations are of vital importance if our country wishes to maintain its international position, from an economic, social and cultural perspective.

Brussels Airport Company advocates a connection to the international high-speed train network which would strongly contribute to guaranteeing the easy access to our airport, a spearhead of our mobility policy. High-speed trains can be an attractive alternative to short-haul flights for some companies and passengers. As it happens, we actually did financially support a Thalys connection for a few years, but it is not feasible and not up to Brussels Airport Company to continue doing this.

All information about flight routes and runway usage is available on www.batc.be. We are unable to give you the flight routes in case the runway is extended as the flight routes are determined by the Federal Government. In our strategic vision, we expect to need a capacity of 93 movements per hour at peak moments and in all weather conditions.

Several independent consultancy firms have carried out studies into the noise impact of both options. To do this, they started from the existing flight routes. The results of these studies as well as any mitigating measures will be discussed within Forum 2040.

Brussels Airport is advocating a stable legal basis for the flight paths by having them laid down in a so-called Flight Act. This Act should be put in place based on a set of principles to be established by the authorities. This will ensure that the flight paths are not constantly changed around pursuant to some or other court ruling, with legal uncertainty and all this entails for the local residents as well as Brussels Airport.

Brussels Airport Company has been pushing for such a stable basis for some time, and the matter has been raised at every imaginable political level. We will continue to argue for this, with full understanding of the complexity of the different political considerations in this dossier. Elaborating principles and establishing the flight paths are closely entwined with balancing different interests. Choices which Brussels Airport Company believes only politicians can make.

The departure and arrival waves at the end of last century cannot be compared to the current demand. At the time, efficiency was not a priority. Aircraft flew too low, and the airlines gave much less consideration to the question of when passengers wanted to fly. Today the flight schedules are much more geared to the needs of the passengers, in order to fly more efficiently. As a result, more passengers are carried with fewer flights than before. Unlike before, these flights are increasingly concentrated in a limited number of hours. This is why there are now bigger peaks in the morning and evening.

The Brussels Airport community has already made a lot of efforts in respect of night-time flights. These efforts include reducing the number of night-time slots to 16,000, setting a maximum of 5,000 departures per year and introducing ‘silent nights’. If Brussels Airport were to scrap the night-time flights, this would not only drastically restrict the activities of our carriers, but would also affect us all as travellers and consumers. Just think about your online purchases which are delivered at your home from America within 48 hours. Your parcel is offloaded at night from a cargo plane at Brussels Airport and loaded onto a truck. The same goes for the green beans you buy at the supermarket and that were picked in Egypt the day before. It would have a major impact on the way airlines operate, and consequently on our role as driving force of the Belgian economy, on employment etc.

Both options are equivalent on an operational level and in terms of capacity. The difference between both options is that the point at which aircraft taking off from runway 07R/25L become airborne will be moved 900m to the east. This means that they reach a higher altitude above the airport site which reduces air noise. However, the impact on air noise and the spatial impact of option B will be greater than that of option A. 

In alternate mode, the touch-down zone is moved. Aircraft approaching runway 07R will be at a higher altitude than today which will reduce air noise in the approach area. However, the impact on air noise and the spatial impact of option B will be greater than that of option A.

Brussels Airport Company’s Strategic Vision 2040 is completely separate from the discussion of whether or not to overfly the Brussels Region. This is an issue that is occurring now, while the Strategic Vision 2040 is a long-term vision that focuses on 2040. The Vision does not solve the acute problem of the Brussels noise fines.

We have the responsibility to look ahead in order to continue guaranteeing the role of the airport as a hub for the Belgian economy and as an employer of many thousands of families in the regions of Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia. This responsibility leads us to formulate a Vision and to also make it known. Our Strategic Vision 2040 is a proposed answer to the challenges of the future. It offers options and concepts of solutions, to the extent that they can be estimated at this early stage.

The main difference compared to the past is volume. This is much greater during peak periods, which are, themselves, becoming increasingly significant. The current use of the take-off and landing runways will no longer be enough to meet the growing number of passengers and airlines during peak periods, particularly in the morning and late afternoon, the times most in demand. As operator of the airport, it’s up to us to guarantee the capacity of our runways and to make the necessary investments in good time.

The Strategic Vision 2040 is a vision and is by no means a detailed plan. Once it has been examined in more detail, we will, along with the responsible authorities, be looking at what measures can be taken to compensate the people affected. In this regard, various possibilities have also been provided for to do something for the people concerned. When we enter the definite planning stage, we will hold discussions with the people affected and look at any suggestions.

Brussels Airport Company understands that the announcement of the Strategic Vision 2040 raises questions with regard to potential expropriations and/or the depreciation of property value. We also understand the concerns of local residents, which is why we want to proceed in a constructive, open and solution-oriented way.

As we stressed several times during the information meeting on 24 January, there is currently still no concrete implementation plan. No choices have been made yet, and no decisions have been taken. The time when options and concepts will be converted into concrete projects and permit applications is not on the agenda for the near future. This is also the reason why we are not yet able to provide the individual answers that you expect from us today.

What Brussels Airport Company can already say is that it will enter into an individual dialogue about a concrete solution for each specific situation – once a certain option is taking shape – with everyone who will be impacted in that case. Three elements will take precedence here: maximum security, comfort and respect for the wish not to suffer from any loss of property value. This will be examined thoroughly, openly and from different perspectives, and the parties concerned will be given feedback at an individual level.

Brussels Airport Company understands that the announcement of the Strategic Vision 2040 raises questions with regard to potential expropriations and/or the depreciation of property value. We also understand the concerns of local residents, which is why we want to proceed in a constructive, open and solution-oriented way.

As we stressed several times during the information meeting on 24 January, there is currently still no concrete implementation plan. No choices have been made yet, and no decisions have been taken. The time when options and concepts will be converted into concrete projects and permit applications is not on the agenda for the near future. This is also the reason why we are not yet able to provide the individual answers that you expect from us today.

What Brussels Airport Company can already say is that it will enter into an individual dialogue about a concrete solution for each specific situation – once a certain option is taking shape – with everyone who will be impacted in that case. Three elements will take precedence here: maximum security, comfort and respect for the wish not to suffer from any loss of property value. This will be examined thoroughly, openly and from different perspectives, and the parties concerned will be given feedback at an individual level.

We understand and share the concern about the fauna and flora present, and are doing everything we can to protect nature as much as possible. We are also striving to strike a balance between further developing the airport and preserving green spaces in the surroundings. Brussels Airport Company already supports various initiatives, including the recently opened Vliegbos woods. This is a joint initiative by Brussels Airport Company, the municipality of Zaventem, the province of Flemish Brabant and the Agentschap Natuur en Bos (Flemish Agency for Nature and Forests to meet the demand for more green recreation areas.

Brussels Airport Company also works closely with the research section of the nature association Natuurpunt in order to preserve the biodiversity on the airport site and in the vicinity thereof as much as possible. If one of the options in the Strategic Vision 2040 is implemented in practice, Brussels Airport Company will work with an independent fauna and flora expert when putting together the ‘Milieueffectrapport’ (Environmental Impact Assessment). He or she will assess the impact and how it can be reduced or compensated for.

At airports with major home carriers such as Brussels Airport, we are seeing around 1,000 jobs for every ‘million passengers’. London Heathrow welcomes over 60 million passengers each year and employs over 60,000 staff. At Brussels Airport, the ratio has historically been established at more than 20 million passengers and 20,000 staff, with a slightly lower number of full-time equivalents. Brussels Airport has extrapolated this ratio to the years ahead. The effects of digitisation could have an impact on these figures, but this mainly revolves around a different job content for existing jobs.

As airport operator, we are keenly aware of the significant impact automation, digital and mobile technology have on our business - now and in the future. We have specialists on board who are working hard to prepare the ground for these developments. Jobs may change over time, but they do not vanish.

Aviation in general has been able to create a variety of other jobs through automation. Self-Service is a good example: where staff would previously label and feed suitcases into the baggage sorting system, this is now increasingly done by machines. As a result, employees have been given more of a customer-facing role, which now enables them to deal with customers on a more interactive basis, providing information and assistance. This adds value for the customer, the airline, and very likely also improves the employee’s job satisfaction. The work of pilots too has evolved thanks to technology. They no longer are airplane ‘drivers’, but ‘managers’ who check the displays and flight data. Technology may change the content of existing jobs, but it does not destroy jobs. If anything, technology is seen to create new jobs which we were not even aware of, such as digital marketer or business analyst, and in this way adds specific value.

Brussels Airport Company is ready for the future. And that also means we focus on creating jobs within automation, digital and mobile technology.

One of the most important elements of our Strategic Vision is the creation of thousands of jobs, both direct and indirect. Thousands of jobs in the most diverse areas, open to the majority of the workers, regardless of their qualifications. Given the wide range of jobs at the airport, job opportunities will continue to grow.

The development of the airport creates employment and wealth in the region. This is a direct positive consequence for citizens. Recent studies carried out by the Flemish Government show that the municipalities in the Flemish periphery around Brussels do particularly well compared to other Flemish municipalities, thanks to the presence of the airport as a socio-economic driver.

We’re finding that there is a big demand for offices at the airport site. The main reason is the multimodal hub which the airport provides. Offices at the airport can be reached quickly and easily by public transport. Business parks in the periphery around Brussels often have the problem that they are not as well connected to public transport, if at all, and that they suffer from the traffic congestion on the Brussels ring road.

In our strategic vision the plane spotters were not forgotten. Stay informed about further developments and subscribe to our spotters’ newsletter by mail to spotters@brusselsairport.be.

The experts are independent recognised Environmental Impact Assessment experts, who are appointed by Brussels Airport Company. You will find the list of experts below:

1. Mobility - Tractebel - Jan Dumez
2. Air noise - To70 - Ruud Ummels
3. Ground noise - KULeuven - Christ Glorieux
4. Spatial impact - Arcadis - Bart Antheunis
5. Air quality and UFPs - Tractebel - Johan Versieren

First and foremost, the development of the airport requires an investment of many hundreds of millions of euros. This will be carried out with private capital. No subsidies are planned for in the Strategic Vision 2040. Subsidies are possible for certain projects, but this will only be looked at in the later phase of a concrete implementation process.

Brussels Airport makes an important contribution of 2% to the Belgian Gross Domestic Product. The airport creates €3.2 billion of added value for the Belgian economy and around 60,000 jobs. This is the profit for our society, our country and our regions.

Brussels Airport Company presented its Strategic Vision for 2040 at the end of 2016. This Vision is not a concrete plan yet, but only presents concepts and options to ensure that the airport is ready to meet the expected growth in air traffic over the next 25 years.

Concrete implementation plans will follow the legal process, and will be presented to the different authorities concerned, and to local residents via regulated information and consultation procedures. Brussels Airport Company also insists, if necessary, on talking to all the parties concerned (issuers of permits, local residents, etc.) before an application for a permit is submitted.

From the point of view of capacity, with the knowledge that we have at the moment, we expect that the optimisation should be sufficient to largely meet the airport’s capacity needs until around 2025. After 2025, infrastructure adjustments will be required in order to grow in line with market demand. Because we are currently still in the strategic phase, we cannot yet make an estimate of which option will ultimately be chosen. For this reason, it is not yet possible to plan concrete projects.

To this day no construction plans exist. Brussels Airport 2040 is a strategic vision that will serve as a basis for a dialogue between all stakeholders: local residents, politicians, businesses, etc. The 3D renderings of the buildings used on the website and on Flickr are not the final plans. The 3D images are merely used to give the visitor an idea of what the airport might look like in 2040. These projects are neither final nor approved and are therefore not currently being carried out.

Brussels Airport Company took the initiative for Forum 2040 and has set up the whole process for the reasons explained on the website www.brusselsairport2040.be. Brussels Airport Company is responsible for facilitating this process with the help and advice of experts in the matter. The ultimate goal of this consultation is to have a nuanced dialogue which will result in useful feedback for Brussels Airport Company. This means that Brussels Airport Company has no interest whatsoever in tampering with the process. Hence, the contribution of the participants is essential to come to a constructive debate in which every opinion is equally valued.

Forum 2040 aims to ensure a balanced composition based on the motivation, profile and place of residence of the participants. These are also the criteria which the members of the independent jury will use to select the participants.

The initial invitation to apply for a seat on Forum 2040 was a huge success. Now that the date of the first session is approaching, we thought it was important to reopen applications in view of the many requests we received and more particularly because we assume that some of the potential candidates now have a better idea of their availabilities.

Above all and foremost, Forum 2040 is a dialogue platform open to anyone who expresses an interest and is motivated to participate in a constructive manner.

Brussels Airport Company is a private company which is presenting its own Strategic Vision. Very few Belgian companies present their Vision for such a development. A private company cannot be expected to make strategic plans for other companies. Moreover, airlines decide themselves which airports they fly to, based on where their customers are. What’s more, airlines want to be present at the logistics hub that is Brussels Airport. The experience of the past 15 years shows that airlines rarely move to another Belgian airport if they can no longer operate from Brussels Airport. More often than not, they relocate to airports outside Belgium.