Cleaner air in the vicinity

During all phases of a flight – from taxiing and take-off to flying and landing – aircraft emit ultrafine particles and nitrogen oxides. Road traffic around the airport site also contributes to these emissions. Since 1996, the Flemish Environment Agency (VMM) monitors the air quality in the surroundings. We are determined to further reduce emissions from the airport and make the air in the surrounding area cleaner. Many of the measures we take to reduce the noise impact, also have a positive effect on air quality.

What we do

• We electrify ground handling. Before departure and after landing, there is a lot of activity on the tarmac. The aircraft is towed to the right position, baggage or cargo is loaded in and out of the aircraft, refuelling takes place, and so on. We are constantly testing new types of fuels and equipment, so that in the future ground handling will run on electricity and via hydrogen, improving air quality for both the environment and employees.
• We research, test and implement new landing techniques. Thanks to a fruitful cooperation with air traffic controller skeyes and several airlines, new landing techniques reduce emissions.
• We attract quieter and more fuel-efficient aircraft. Airlines pay a lower rate for quieter aircraft than for louder ones. As from 2023, the least noise-efficient aircraft pay up to 20 times more and we also take account of the NOx emissions.
• We are greening our fleet. Most of our service vehicles run on CNG. Since 2019, we have been using electric buses for our passengers on the tarmac. We also launched a special programme to fully electrify our corporate car fleet by 2025.