Story ID: 
Belgium’s Noise and Emissions Tax Includes Bizjets
By: Gordon Gilbert
Caption: Belgium is imposing taxes on noise and emissions of aircraft, including business jets, operating short-hop flights to or from Brussels Airport.
Word Count: 226
A set of taxes to promote the use of quieter and less polluting aircraft at Brussels National Airport has been adopted by the Belgian government. Scheduled to go into effect April 1, 2023, the taxes will be imposed on business jets and airliners making flights of less than 500 km (310 nm) to or from the airport.
Taxes will be based on criteria related to emissions from nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide greenhouse gases. The noise criterion, already included in the current calculation of charges for airliners, is amended to further discourage night flights and favor quieter aircraft. Aircraft using Brussels National Airport are required to pay a tax determined by the noise level generated at takeoff and landing. Until now, small airplanes such as business jets have been exempt.
“Charges are also increased for aircraft that currently do not have a noise quota, namely private or business jets, whose pollution per passenger is much higher than scheduled aviation,” said Georges Gilkinet, Belgium’s deputy prime minister and minister for mobility. The level of the fee will vary depending on aircraft performance and time of day.
"The noise pollution suffered by residents living near Brussels National Airport…cannot remain as it is,” Gilkinet said. “The status quo is no longer conceivable.”