Sustainability and Environment
Belgium’s Noise and Emissions Tax Includes Bizjets
Belgium is imposing taxes on noise and emissions of aircraft, including business jets, operating short-hop flights to or from Brussels Airport.
view of runway 25R at Brussels National Airport with airliners parked at gates in background
Belgium is imposing taxes on noise and emissions of aircraft, including business jets, operating short-hop flights to or from Brussels National Airport. (Photo: Lucash, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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.

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