Brussels joins appeals against the Crucke flight route after a missed ministerial letter

A letter that did not reach the responsible official

On Thursday, 12 November 2026, the Brussels government met to decide how to respond to an air route that passes over the capital. Federal Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés) wrote to the Brussels region on 17 July to say that a modified approach trajectory, known as the Crucke route, would be made permanent. Under the procedure, the region had 60 days to challenge that decision before the Council of State. The letter was sent to the cabinet of Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), but Ans Persoons (Vooruit), the state secretary responsible for the file, only learned of it on 6 November. The Van den Brandt cabinet reportedly did not inform Persoons or the rest of the government, and it does not regard the letter as an official notification.

Why the appeal window closed

According to a legal analysis by the region's lawyers, the sixty-day period has expired, because the file only reached Persoons on 6 November. An earlier analysis had already ruled out a direct appeal by the region, so the government has ordered a further check on whether one is still possible. Persoons described the episode as a serious setback in the fight against the new route.

“We are deeply disappointed. For months we have been working hard on the aerial overflight file.”

Persoons added that the error cost the region an important lever against a route that affects so many Brussels residents.

What the Brussels government decided

On Thursday the government agreed to join appeals to the Council of State filed by communes, citizens or interest groups, because the 17 July date does not apply to them. The Common Community Commission will also file an appeal against the decision. Schaarbeek and Koekelberg are already taking the matter to the Council of State, and Schaarbeek's mayor, Martin de Brabant (MR), confirmed this to De Standaard. He said he did not know exactly what had happened and described the episode as close to amateurism. The government also ordered a further legal analysis of whether the region itself can appeal. If that analysis finds sufficient legal grounds, Persoons will be tasked with filing the appeal on the region's behalf. The region also stressed the airport's economic weight and its role in employment, and said it wants flight path changes not to move noise onto other Brussels neighbourhoods, in the north or the south.

Reactions and the federal defence

Van den Brandt rejected the suggestion that her cabinet's handling of the letter had blocked a regional appeal, and said the government was unanimous on that point. She said the region would contest whether the letter counts as official notification.

“We will not be intimidated by an A4 sheet sent sneakily.”

Van den Brandt argued that the Flemish government could impose fewer flights through its environmental permit, and that the federal government should urgently draft a new air law, which she called the real solution. On RTBF's programme Jeudi en prime on Thursday evening, Crucke said the route dates back to his predecessors Jacqueline Galant (MR) and François Belot (MR), and that the route has been in use since 2016.

“The Crucke route has existed since 2016.”

Crucke said the state-owned air traffic control company Skyes pushed for greater use of the route, citing safety concerns about the VOR beacon at Steenokkerzeel. He said the use of the route could become temporary if certain conditions are met, and he blamed the criticism mainly on Flemish parties and media. The articles give no timetable for any Council of State ruling.