Night flights at Luxembourg airport: why isn't the ban working 100 per cent?

Luxembourg has a ban on night flights, established by the Grand Ducal Regulation of 24 May 1998. However, this document provides for a number of permanent exceptions that allow certain flights to be operated at night. These exceptions are governed by article 13 and cover categories such as State flights, search and rescue operations, humanitarian and medical flights, emergency flights and flights carried out within the framework of Luxembourg's international obligations. Thus, despite the general prohibition, certain types of air traffic are permitted at night to fulfil important State functions and to ensure security.

In 2024, 3,043 night departures were recorded at Luxembourg Airport. Of these, 87 flights are categorised as public aviation, rescue and humanitarian missions and Luxembourg's international commitments. The largest number of night flights (2,956) related to scheduled commercial passenger and cargo flights that were delayed compared to the planned schedule. At the same time, there were no scheduled cargo flights scheduled between 23:00 and 24:00, as well as irregular flights from airlines based at Luxembourg Airport in 2024. These statistics show that it is delayed commercial flights that account for the bulk of night air traffic, while special and humanitarian missions take up only a small proportion.

The vast majority of night flights were due to delays of scheduled commercial flights, which totalled 2,956 cases. The causes of delays can be weather conditions, technical problems, air traffic congestion at other airports resulting in a chain of delays, and crew working time constraints requiring compliance with safety regulations. These factors highlight the complexity of air traffic management and point to the need for more flexible scheduling.

While there is a ban on night flights, the flexibility in its implementation allows for important missions and adaptation to the realities of airline operations. Nevertheless, the high number of delayed flights raises questions about optimising schedules and improving infrastructure to reduce night noise. Thus, Luxembourg continues to enforce strict rules on night flights, but makes exceptions for key functions such as humanitarian missions and international commitments. However, the number of delayed flights points to the need for better logistics and more flexible scheduling to minimise the impact on residents living near the airport.

The situation with night flights at Luxembourg airport demonstrates the need to find a balance between compliance with the ban on night air traffic and the real needs of the aviation industry. Optimising schedules, improving infrastructure and taking into account the interests of local residents are the key challenges facing the country's aviation authorities.