New ministerial decree for Basel-Mulhouse Airport

The two new measures, which amend the existing operational restrictions, are as follows:

• A ban on scheduled departures between 11 p.m. and midnight.
• A ban on take-offs and landings of particularly noisy aircraft (Chapter 3 with a noise margin of less than 13 EPNdB (Effective Perceived Noise Decibel)) during the night hours between 10 p.m. and midnight, and between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.

The new decree marks an important stage in the airport’s noise reduction strategy. The following calculated impacts are expected from the new measures between 11 p.m. and midnight:

• A sustained and significant reduction in noise during the second night hour north and south of the airport.
• A considerable decrease in flight movements (-80%) during the second night hour.
• Protection from particularly noisy aircraft during the entire night.

The ministerial decree permits flights delayed through no fault of the airline to depart after 11 p.m. However, since the regulatory authority only determines the legality of delayed departures in retrospect, there might be a lag in achieving the target to significantly reduce total flight movements by 80%.

The airport will continue to closely monitor noise levels in order to identify any potential negative developments at an early stage and to deal with them appropriately.