42 Brussels Families Sue Over Noisy Flight Path

Forty-two families from the Brussels western fringe have taken legal action against the Belgian State over a new flight path to Brussels Airport that exposes them to noise levels of up to 85 decibels per aircraft. The families, organized through the citizen collective Bruegelvogelvrij, filed their case at the Court of First Instance in Brussels, demanding the immediate suspension of the contested route.

The disputed approach, known as the ‘route-Crucke’ after Federal Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke, has been in use since August 2025 on landing runway 07L of Brussels Airport. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the satellite-guided RNP procedure was introduced to guide aircraft more precisely to the runway, but it has concentrated noise over the same streets, neighborhoods, and homes.

The ‘Route-Crucke’ Explained

Runway 07L is used when there is an east wind, as aircraft always land against the wind. The route brings planes in from the west, starting the approach above Lennik and descending over the northwest of the Brussels Region. On busy days, aircraft land every two to three minutes, and at night there is only a two-hour window (2-4 AM) without overflights.

The route was initially presented as a temporary measure or test phase, linked to works on another runway. However, the instruction to use the route has been extended twice and is currently valid until October 2026. Critics argue it has evolved from a “test phase” into de facto permanent use.

“When an aircraft flies over here, the noise level according to our measurements reaches 80 to 85 decibels. You automatically wake up from it,” said Eddy Cousin, initiator of the Bruegelvogelvrij collective. “That is no longer sustainable. Either the problem gets solved, or it becomes a matter of moving away.”

Growing Anger in Brussels

The legal action comes as anger over the flight path intensifies across the Brussels Region. According to BRUZZ, residents in Molenbeek, Koekelberg, and Sint-Agatha-Berchem have seen their sleep disrupted for days since the return of east winds. Measurements in Itterbeek registered noise levels of 80 to 85 decibels, and the collective notes that noise will be even worse in Brussels municipalities where aircraft fly lower.

Lies Ryckeboer, a Koekelberg resident and mother of two young children involved with Free Air 4 Brussels, described the situation as unbearable. “They flew until almost 3 AM and before 6 AM they started again. I haven’t been able to sleep three hours. It has never been this loud. It is torture,” she told BRUZZ. “My oldest child gets very nervous from that constant noise and the youngest can’t sleep because of it.”

Her partner, VRT journalist Tim Verheyden, called the situation “pure sound terror” on Instagram. Data from the Persoons cabinet shows that 44 aircraft landed between 11 PM and 6 AM on the night of August 10-11 - an average of one aircraft every 9.5 minutes.

Escalating Legal Battle

The families’ case is part of a broader legal offensive against the flight route. The Brussels Region filed a cease-and-desist action on July 29 at the French-speaking civil court, seeking fines for violations of Brussels noise standards. According to BRUZZ, measurements show that 96 percent of flights on the route exceed Brussels noise standards.

Multiple municipalities have also taken legal steps. Koekelberg has started proceedings, with Sint-Jans-Molenbeek joining its case. Schaarbeek has approved legal action, and Lennik has appointed a lawyer to prepare legal steps. Evere has adopted a motion against the increase in air traffic.

Brussels State Secretary Ans Persoons (Vooruit), who leads the Region’s legal challenge, said: “This keeps people awake literally and figuratively. An airplane highway over the most densely populated neighborhoods of Brussels is unacceptable.” She added: “We recognize the economic importance of the airport and advocate for fair distribution. There will continue to be flights over Brussels, but not at the inhumane pace of a highway of sometimes 300 aircraft per day.”

Divergent Approaches Among Mayors

Not all local leaders agree on the legal strategy. Dilbeek’s mayor Stijn Quaghebeur (N-VA) has chosen consultation over litigation, arguing that lawsuits would simply shift noise to neighboring municipalities. “We want a thorough evaluation of the wind standards and their application, examining whether distribution of landings during east wind is possible. You do that through consultation, not through the courts,” he told BRUZZ.

Lennik’s mayor Irina De Knop (Anders) takes a different view. “The current situation is not sustainable. For us, the cup is slowly running over,” she said. The affected municipalities include Lennik, Dilbeek, Pajottegem, Roosdaal, and Tervuren, as well as densely populated Brussels neighborhoods such as Molenbeek, Koekelberg, Jette, Laken, Haren, Schaarbeek, and Evere.

One Year of the Route: The Numbers

Data compiled by Free Air 4 Brussels shows the scale of the problem. Between July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026, 9,827 flights were registered via the RNP 07 route, compared to only 3,204 in the same period of 2024 - approximately 3,500 extra flights over Brussels. According to a ULB study, more than 270,000 people are affected by the flight route, with that number potentially rising to 400,000 if runway 07R is included.

The economic impact could be substantial. Free Air 4 Brussels estimates the route could cost the Brussels Region between 4 and 6 billion euros through property value loss, reduced registration taxes, and lower property tax revenue. The collective bases this on a ULB study showing roughly 280,000 Brussels residents are exposed to the route, spread across about 115,000 homes.

What’s Next

The first hearing in the families’ case is scheduled for February 2027, with a ruling expected in spring 2027. Meanwhile, the route remains in use until at least October 2026. Free Air 4 Brussels has announced a demonstration on September 13 in Brussels, and a petition by Free Air Brussels North has gathered more than 9,000 signatures.

Hundreds of complaints to AirMediation have yielded no results, according to Bruegelvogelvrij, and a promised political agreement on flight routes by July 21 (Belgian national holiday) did not materialize. Crucke plans to propose a new aviation law with a comprehensive distribution plan next year.

For residents like Brigitte Denayer from Sint-Martens-Lennik, the wait is increasingly difficult to bear. “I am furious, powerless, restless and desperate,” she told HLN. “I didn’t choose to live under a highway and I’m sick of it. I would like to invite Minister Crucke to our garden for a cup of coffee when there’s an east wind.”

As the legal and political battles continue on multiple fronts, the fundamental question remains: how can Brussels balance the economic importance of its airport with the right of hundreds of thousands of residents to sleep through the night? The courts may provide an answer - but not until spring 2027 at the earliest.