and the first reactions of the opposition...
source: de standaard.
BRUSSEL - Het voorstel van premier Guy Verhofstadt om een tweede nationale luchthaven te openen, stuit op verzet van verkeersdeskundigen en oppositie. Volgens transporteconoom Paul Roosens wordt de maximale capaciteit op Zaventem niet gebruikt. Door het faillissement van Sabena is de activiteit op de nationale luchthaven immers met een kwart teruggelopen. CD&V-voorzitter Yves Leterme benadrukt dat ons land met veel ernstigere problemen kampt.
Ook de Waalse minister van Economie Serge Kubla is niet enthousiast. Hij verkiest een verdere uitbouw van de regionale luchthavens van Charleroi en Luik.
Verhofstadt lanceerde het voorstel bij de opening van de Jaarbeurs van Gent. Hij wil met een reeks investeringen in grote infrastructuurwerken de werkgelegenheid aanzwengelen.
Binnen de meerderheid wordt voorzichtig gezegd dat slechts het om een denkpiste gaat.
like in the advertisements of 'de standaard':
Guy, it's not forbidden to use your head
:dammit:
New National Airport?
Moderator: Latest news team
With all do respect, if Brussels National is going on like this, I think within 15 years they will have only 10 milion pass and not 30 milion..... Maybe if Brussels National is really overloaded... in 15 years...
They need to have the full cooperation of the government.
And Brussels needs to clean up its image, the have everthing but they can not sell it.
I hope this will change soon, very soon. Otherwise the other airports (LHR, AMS, FRA, GDC) will grow and Brussels will krimp.
greetz,
ATC
Now I hear that the second airport would be the NATO base of Chièvres in Hainaut. How far is that from Brussels? The local people are against. More reasons to vote against a second national airport.
1) First dveleop Zaventem to capacity
2) Simultaneously link it with a real HST to the neighbouring countries
3) Have an intelligent noise policy: on single night route flying over the least populated areas, where inhabitants would be paid a good phonic insulation for their homes.
When will politicians understand that "planning" (both short- and long-term) can solve problems. But they probably never heard that word.
1) First dveleop Zaventem to capacity
2) Simultaneously link it with a real HST to the neighbouring countries
3) Have an intelligent noise policy: on single night route flying over the least populated areas, where inhabitants would be paid a good phonic insulation for their homes.
When will politicians understand that "planning" (both short- and long-term) can solve problems. But they probably never heard that word.
André
ex Sabena #26567
ex Sabena #26567
No need for a second airport, according to Pierre Klees, Chairman of BIAC, who said so in an interview to "De Standaard", "Het Nieuwsblad" and "Het Volk" this Monday. He added that it is unrealistic to build a new airport in Belgium. Zaventem is currently used only at half of its capacity, according to Pierre Klees.
André
ex Sabena #26567
ex Sabena #26567
In an article in today's printed edition of La Libre Belgique (not available online), it is said that the origin of Verhofstadt's thoughts would be in DHL's intention to double the number of night flights out of Brussels. This would incommodate the local inhabitants, hence the idea to build a second airport elsewhere, at a cost of 4 billion Euro (I hope you all have deep pockets!).
In 2000 already, when Sabena was thriving, Chièvres had been mentioned as a possible location for an extension of the National Airport. It is also close to an HST (TGV) track and has a low concentration of population. With the current development of Belgian air traffic, it could become a place of choice for a second airport in ... 2020.
But since Belgian politicians are slow-thinking, it might be high time to start studying the project.
In 2000 already, when Sabena was thriving, Chièvres had been mentioned as a possible location for an extension of the National Airport. It is also close to an HST (TGV) track and has a low concentration of population. With the current development of Belgian air traffic, it could become a place of choice for a second airport in ... 2020.
But since Belgian politicians are slow-thinking, it might be high time to start studying the project.
André
ex Sabena #26567
ex Sabena #26567
Latest news:
The French government and the regional authorities in Lille would be favourable to a large French-Belgian airport in Chièvres. This would completely change my initial opinion. Let's see things realistically:
1) Zaventem can still accept a large number of additional flights. But it could well be saturated in 2020.
2) The night flights are a big problem for Zaventem.
3) Zaventem is very close to Brussels and in the vicinity of Mechelen and Leuven. Not many airports in the world are that close to a large city. And it is impossible to build additional runways or even major airport buildings.
4) The planning and construction of a new airport would take at least 10 years. So it is not too early to start thinking about it now.
5) Chièvres is at 55 km from Brussels (not further away than Malpensa from Milan or Fiumicino from Rome). It is on a HST rail track (possibilitiy of express link to both Brussels and Zaventem), close to highway A8 and national trunk road N7 (both from Brussels to Lille). It is also only at 15 km from the Flemish region (about the same distance as Zaventem from the Walloon Region), so no community problems which too often poison life in Belgium.
6) Chièvres has already two runways (2920 and 1820 m) that can easily be extended.
7) Chièvres is an area of low population. there are only minor problems with night flights. Only 400 people would need to be displaced for the construction of a major airport on 3000 ha.
8) France is looking for a site for a third national airport as well and would agree to co-finance Chièvres with Belgium, and with the help of European funds.
This all looks like an ideal solution.
I change my vote to YES! With a view on the needs for 2020.
The French government and the regional authorities in Lille would be favourable to a large French-Belgian airport in Chièvres. This would completely change my initial opinion. Let's see things realistically:
1) Zaventem can still accept a large number of additional flights. But it could well be saturated in 2020.
2) The night flights are a big problem for Zaventem.
3) Zaventem is very close to Brussels and in the vicinity of Mechelen and Leuven. Not many airports in the world are that close to a large city. And it is impossible to build additional runways or even major airport buildings.
4) The planning and construction of a new airport would take at least 10 years. So it is not too early to start thinking about it now.
5) Chièvres is at 55 km from Brussels (not further away than Malpensa from Milan or Fiumicino from Rome). It is on a HST rail track (possibilitiy of express link to both Brussels and Zaventem), close to highway A8 and national trunk road N7 (both from Brussels to Lille). It is also only at 15 km from the Flemish region (about the same distance as Zaventem from the Walloon Region), so no community problems which too often poison life in Belgium.
6) Chièvres has already two runways (2920 and 1820 m) that can easily be extended.
7) Chièvres is an area of low population. there are only minor problems with night flights. Only 400 people would need to be displaced for the construction of a major airport on 3000 ha.
8) France is looking for a site for a third national airport as well and would agree to co-finance Chièvres with Belgium, and with the help of European funds.
This all looks like an ideal solution.
I change my vote to YES! With a view on the needs for 2020.
André
ex Sabena #26567
ex Sabena #26567
The Trojan horse in Wallonia?
sn26567 wrote:Chièvres place of choice for a second airport in ... 2020.But since Belgian politicians are slow-thinking, it might be high time to start studying the project.
Want a bigger map? Click: http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/tgv/jpg/traveltimes2.jpg In 2003, the contours must have expanded, I think. Look how close Switzerland and the Netherlands are coming...This is the most recent map I have: This color contour map of France shows best scheduled travel times from Paris, in hours, as of June 2001 with the LGV Méditerranée opened. Black dots represent cities with TGV / Thalys / Eurostar service. Contour colors are valid at these cities only. If necessary, refer to an atlas to identify cities.
*If France is 'in' the deal, it will probably also pay, cq co-finance Chièvres with Belgium. France has a bad repution will the disposal of it 'environmental' problems, see the location of its nuclear equipment... How strong are the ecologists now?
*Is it far enough from Schiphol? The Dutch want to expand SPL.
*Since there is no longer a Belgian national airline, there is no national 'intrest'. So why co-finance Chièvres with Belgium? All this should lead to compensations, to keep the country in balance. There would never be a majority voting for this project on the federal level, I hear myself thinking.
That 'yes' vote would be the end of any Flemish party in favour, and a big win for VB. Is this the occasion politicians are looking for to proceed with the big split?
The Trojan horse in Wallonia?
May I remember you this?
follow me to the Flemish/Walloon section of this forum.
Can you show us an offical press release or something like that.sn26567 wrote:8) France is looking for a site for a third national airport as well and would agree to co-finance Chièvres with Belgium, and with the help of European funds.
I would have never imagined that France could build an airport with the belgians in BELGIUM. Can you believe this 8O
So it could be possible to see in about 20 years a new airport with many Air France planes and belgian ones (SNBA or/and VEX...). That would be great
Ciao
Chris
8)
With pleasure: http://www.lalibre.be/article.phtml?id= ... _id=133804Avro wrote:Can you show us an offical press release or something like that.
André
ex Sabena #26567
ex Sabena #26567
Chievres airfield built by the Germans!
Indeed, history tells that Chievres was built by the Germans during WW 1, and they came back there in WW 2, and upgraded it.
In 1944 the American started rebuilding and called the base: A-84 for fighter groups 361, 365, and 368 ( P-47 Thunderbolt), later in 1945, 352 Fighter Group with its P-51 Mustangs
The Begian Air Force used as airbase only from 1951* and left it already in 1963 and on Jul 03,1967 the Flight School left for Brustem.
*7th Wing Meteor T.7 & F. 8. In 1956 Hunter F.4, In 1958, Hunter F.6
That's all... for the Belgians.
My sources do not tell me if there were main works at the runways since...
In 1944 the American started rebuilding and called the base: A-84 for fighter groups 361, 365, and 368 ( P-47 Thunderbolt), later in 1945, 352 Fighter Group with its P-51 Mustangs
The Begian Air Force used as airbase only from 1951* and left it already in 1963 and on Jul 03,1967 the Flight School left for Brustem.
*7th Wing Meteor T.7 & F. 8. In 1956 Hunter F.4, In 1958, Hunter F.6
That's all... for the Belgians.
My sources do not tell me if there were main works at the runways since...
Schiphol: NOT to become a "branch" of Charles-de-G
The Dutch cabinet is to set conditions for the planned partnership between the national carrier KLM and Air France.
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said today that his government is mainly concerned about the position of Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. He believes the country's main airport, in which the state is a majority shareholder, may not be allowed to become a "branch" of Charles-de-Gaulle airport near Paris.
The prime minister made it known that the cabinet is deeply involved in the current talks between KLM and Air France, which are now said to be at a very advanced stage.
What, if SPL becomes a branch of CDG will happen with BRU.N? A branch of... Chievres.
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said today that his government is mainly concerned about the position of Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. He believes the country's main airport, in which the state is a majority shareholder, may not be allowed to become a "branch" of Charles-de-Gaulle airport near Paris.
The prime minister made it known that the cabinet is deeply involved in the current talks between KLM and Air France, which are now said to be at a very advanced stage.
What, if SPL becomes a branch of CDG will happen with BRU.N? A branch of... Chievres.