Flights from Deurne to Spain with a stopover in Zaventem: “pure kafka at Antwerp airport” | inland
Since July, tour operator TUI has lost five flights from Deurne airport to Spanish flights, with a stopover in Zaventem. The aircraft had to refuel, resulting in an absolute increase in emissions. The Mediahuis newspapers write that on Saturday.
The stopover did not serve to let passengers on board, but to refuel. Striking, in principle the plane, an Embraer 190 or 195, wants to fly perfectly directly to Spain.
The stopover on flights to Spanish destinations, Alicante, Malaga and Ibiza. There have been five flights since July.
In case of a full flight with luggage, the take-off weight must be lowered. You can’t do that by sending passengers away. So we will fill up with less fuel in Antwerp.
TUI Belgium spokesman Piet Demeyere points to a combination of circumstances. “If the runway in Antwerp is wet, we have to do a certain weight check for safety. Most common is the weight in Antwerp to ensure that the runway can handle it, but for example in the case of a full flight with luggage, the take-off weight must be lowered. You can’t do that by sending passengers away. So we fill up less fuel in Antwerp to be able to climb safely and fill up in Brussels to get to Spain.”
In Zaventem, the take-off weight is not a limitation because the runway is much longer than in Antwerp.
Additional emissions
The stopover does mean that the planes consume extra. Inge Mayeres of research agency Transport & Mobility Leuven calculated with the tool of the European Environment Agency that an extra landing and take-off cycle with that aircraft roughly results in 2,050 kg extra CO2 emissions. For a direct flight Antwerp-Alicante, the total emissions are 13,265 kg CO2. The stopover in Zaventem therefore causes approximately 15 percent more emissions on that flight.
“Apart from many or few flights, this is again pure kafka at Antwerp airport,” says Imade Annouri, Flemish member of parliament for Groen.
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