Forty-two families from Dilbeek, Lennik and Roosdaal have taken the Belgian state to court over the controversial RNP 07L satellite-guided approach used for landings on runway 07L at Brussels Airport. The claim targets an arrival procedure introduced as a temporary measure in April 2025 and later extended until October 2026, as residents press to stop aircraft noise over the western edge of Brussels.
The case is backed by the Bruegelvogelvrij citizen collective and comes amid broader pressure on federal mobility minister Jean-Luc Crucke over the future of the route. The procedure is used mainly when weather or wind prevents use of the preferred landing pattern, but it has drawn sustained criticism from communities in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Koekelberg and surrounding areas.
The dispute has moved from protests to litigation as the federal government weighs whether to keep the route beyond October 2026. Environmental analysis has been carried out while authorities review the option, but local opponents argue the route concentrates traffic over densely populated neighbourhoods and creates repeated noise disturbances.
Families involved in the suit say aircraft can pass overhead every two to three minutes on busy days. Free Air 4 Brussels, which has campaigned against the approach, claims most flights on the route breach Brussels noise limits and that night-time operations are even more problematic.