Brussels Airport 2040 - Connecting with the future

Brussels Airport is much more than just an airport. It is a community of 60,000 people. Brussels Airport is a strong asset for Belgium, its businesses and anyone curious to explore the world. It is also is a sine qua non for the capital of Europe, the international institutions and organisations, as well as for the hotels, restaurants and museums across the country.

A few facts about Brussels Airport.

3,000 residents from Brussels, 2,400 persons living in Wallonia and 14,600 in Flanders come to work at Brussels Airport every day

This makes the airport the largest private employer of people living in Brussels and the second largest growth pole in Flanders, after the port of Antwerp. By 2020 some 15,000 additional jobs will be created. And we’re not only talking about pilots or baggage handlers. Any job is possible at Brussels Airport: cook, taxi driver, pharmacist, police officer, customs officer, firefighter etc. Without mentioning the hotel, catering and tourism industries which also benefit directly from the presence of the airport.

The number of neighbouring residents who suffer from noise pollution has decreased by more than 50% since 2000

Brussels Airport has not been idle in these past years. The airport actively encourages airlines to invest in more modern high-performance and therefore quieter aircraft. We permanently take operational measures to reduce the impact of air traffic on the quality of life. The good news is that due to the technological progress the new aircraft produce up to 40% less noise.

Brussels Airport is not the only airport to be located so close to a major city

Paris : 19 kilometres

Madrid : 13 kilometres

Amsterdam : 11 kilometres

Zurich : 9 kilometres

Lisbon : 7 kilometres

Brussels : 11 kilometres

In other words, this is within the European standard. It is an illusion to think that the municipalities around Brussels and the surroundings of the airport could be sparsely populated areas given that the urbanisation continues and people are specifically looking to live near economic centres.

Taking away cargo from Brussels Airport would be economic and social suicide

Cargo traffic is inextricably bound up with passenger traffic as 30% of the goods are carried on board of passenger flights. With its network of 230 nonstop destinations, Brussels Airport provides flights to all corners of the world. Both these elements guarantee that essential goods, including vaccines and medicine, can be sent across the world at record speed and that our Christmas gifts are delivered at our home in time.

An aviation act is imperative to end a Kafkaesque situation

The lack of a stable legal framework for the flight routes creates a general climate of uncertainty. Voting a law on the use of these routes is urgent and to the advantage of all: neighbouring residents, airport, airlines and passengers. Brussels Airport opened a dialogue with all stakeholders through Forum 2040. Here the future of the airport for the next 25 years will be discussed in an open and constructive way with neighbouring residents, economic players and experts. Because it is our priority to provide our country and its three regions with the tools to develop themselves in economic, cultural and social terms in a balanced and sustainable way.