Are planes landing or taking off after 11pm still the exception or becoming the norm at Findel Airport? What is certain is that noise pollution affects many residents and can impact their health.
Officially, Luxembourg airport is closed between 11pm and 6am. However, current regulations permit aircraft scheduled during opening hours to land or take off outside these times if delayed.
In 2023, there were a record 2,553 night flights. These figures are publicly available, allowing for comparisons with 2024. Based on data from the first few months, it is likely that 2024 will also set a new record.
The Environment Agency is closely monitoring the situation. Luxair classifies the figures as "exceptions" that were mainly due to air traffic controller strikes last year. However, the Ministry of Mobility, the Air Navigation Authority, and Cargolux have not provided comments, despite interview requests from our colleagues at RTL Télé.
© www.geoportail.lu
The Environment Agency's noise maps show precisely which areas near the airport are affected by noise and their exposure levels, with some maps offering separate views for day and night. In 2023, actual noise measurements were taken at ten different locations around the airport. According to Geoportail, the Lden (day-evening-night average) decibel levels were as follows: 65 decibels in Hamm, 62.2 in Bonnevoie, 61.3 in Gasperich, 56.4 in Cents, and 56.5 in Roodt-sur-Syr.
Our colleagues presented their assessment of noise exposure to Professor Dr Thomas Münzel, a retired cardiologist and former medical director of Mainz University Hospital, who began researching the effects of noise on the cardiovascular system in the early 2000s.
Professor Münzel explained that, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), exposure to noise levels of 55 decibels or more can significantly increase the risk of developing illnesses, including mental illness and cardiovascular disease.
Given this 55-decibel threshold, Professor Münzel believes that values exceeding 60 or 65 decibels are "drastically too high." He argues that such exposure levels are considerably above the point at which one should expect adverse health effects.
Noise, particularly at night, is known to have a significant impact on health by triggering stress reactions in the body. Professor Münzel advocates for strict night-time silence, as implemented at Frankfurt am Main airport, but ideally from 10pm to 6am. If this is not possible, he suggests that airlines should be fined for delays, with the funds used to protect local residents from noise pollution.
At Findel Airport, airlines are not fined when their aircraft take off or land between 11pm and 6am. Across Europe, there are no uniform rules regarding airport operating hours, and some airports remain open to air traffic 24 hours a day.
Currently, between 230 and 280 aircraft take off and land at Findel Airport each day. According to LuxAirport, the airport's capacity is much greater, allowing for up to 16 landings and 16 take-offs per hour, nearly one every two minutes.
According to the Environment Agency, 84,000 people are affected by nighttime noise pollution exceeding 45 decibels in the airport area. Financial assistance for noise insulation has been offered to 2,635 selected addresses, with the condition that the building contract for the dwelling must have been drawn up before 1986. So far, 19 applications have been submitted.
The runway work conducted at the airport in 2021 and 2022 proved that it is technically possible to operate without night flights.
The responsibility for improving the quality of life for residents in the airport vicinity lies with the government, which also owns 39% of Luxair and 8% of Cargolux.
