Brussels Airport publishes 2024 noise contour report

Brussels Airport continuously carries out measurements to map the noise impact around the airport. You can view these measurements here. In addition, the airport also has noise contours calculated annually by an independent recognised noise expert.  The full 2024 report is now available and can be found here. 

New reporting conditions   

Brussels Airport's renewed environmental permit of 29/3/2024 imposes a number of additional conditions regarding this noise contour reporting:   

• The noise contours Lnight and Lday will now be reported to lower levels, 40 dB and 45 dB respectively, as of this year. Previously, these levels were 45 dB and 55 dB. As a result, a significantly larger area - in addition to the classic contours as in previous reports - will now be reported. 

• In addition to the number of ‘potentially highly annoyed people’, which has always been calculated annually in accordance with the VLAREM regulations, the number of ‘severely annoyed’ and ‘severely sleep disturbed people’ is now also calculated based on a new dose-response relationship established by the World Health Organisation.   

• The time periods over which the frequency contours are calculated have been adjusted to 07h-19h, 19h-23h and 23h-07h (previously 07h-23h and 23h-07h). 

Results of noise contour calculations   

Air traffic to and from Brussels Airport had still not fully recovered from the COVID crisis in 2024.   

The number of aircraft movements increased by 3.3% in 2024 compared to 2023, reaching 198,617 movements, but it is still 15% lower than in 2019. 

In addition, the airport's aircraft fleet is also becoming increasingly noise-efficient due to the introduction of more latest-generation aircraft. As a result, in 2024, 36% of flights were operated with the most efficient aircraft, compared to 25% in 2019. 

The area within the Lden noise contour increased by 0.4% in 2024, from 52,996 ha in 2023 to 53,203 ha in 2024. This area is still 5.4% smaller than it was in 2019.   

Runway use also plays an important role in the location of noise contours. In 2024, the air traffic controller skeyes had to deviate less from the preferential runway use scheme, mainly due to meteorological conditions. As a result, the proportion of landings on runways 01, 07L and 07R fell from 19% in 2023 to 13% in 2024. 

Figure: Lden noise contours of 45 and 50 dB(A) for the years 2019, 2023 and 2024   

The number of potentially highly annoyed people within the Lden noise contour of 55 dB(A) remained approximately stable in 2024 at 13,323, compared to 13,342 in 2023(13,342 potentially highly annoyed people).    

Here, the evolution of population density within these contour zones also plays an important role. With a constant population compared to the previous year, the number of potentially highly annoyed people would have been 1.9% lower in 2024.