May 2025 – General Aviation is under direct attack in Belgium. Ostend Airport (EBOS) has now followed Antwerp (EBAW) in issuing a blanket ban on all aircraft using AVGAS100LL, through a NOTAM enacted without warning, consultation, or justification.
NOTAM A1458/25
Q) EBBU/QFALT/IV/NBO/A /000/999/5112N00252E005
A) EBOS
B) 2504302200 C) PERM
E) ALL FLIGHTS WITH ACFT USING AVGAS100LL NOT ALLOWED
AOPA Luxembourg condemns this decision in the strongest possible terms. It is a discriminatory, baseless, and potentially unlawful act that jeopardises the rights of pilots, aircraft owners, and aviation businesses across the region.
Public Airports Must Serve All Users — Not Just the Ones They Prefer
EBOS and EBAW are publicly owned airports. Denying access to lawfully certified aircraft simply because they operate on AVGAS100LL is not only unacceptable — it is a breach of fundamental aviation access principles.
Aircraft flying on AVGAS100LL are certified, safe, and legal. These aircraft support a wide range of vital activities: private flying, professional training, business travel, and emergency operations. They are not the problem — they are being made scapegoats.
No Legal or Scientific Justification Has Been Provided
Under EU Regulation 1008/2008, any restriction on access to airports must be based on proven serious environmental concerns. Neither EBOS nor EBAW has published any such evidence. There is no public measurement data, no risk analysis, and no transition plan.
Instead, we see politically driven decisions, taken without consultation, and implemented with a total disregard for legal process or operational impact.
Chaos on the Ground: Displacement and Risk
Pilots and aircraft operators are now being forced to move to smaller, ill-equipped airfields across Belgium — many of which lack hangars, refuelling infrastructure, or sufficient safety services. These sites were never designed to absorb displaced traffic from regional airports.
The result? Disruption, overcrowding, and safety concerns — all created by the decision of two publicly funded airports to target a specific class of aircraft.
AVGAS100LL: Still Legal, Still Essential
Let’s be clear:
- One-third of the global piston aircraft fleet requires 100-octane AVGAS.
- These aircraft consume around two-thirds of all piston aviation fuel.
- While alternatives are being developed, AVGAS100LL remains the only legal and certified option for many aircraft types.
- Its continued use in Europe is authorised until at least 2032, providing the needed timeframe for a responsible, safe, and coordinated transition.
AOPA Luxembourg’s Position: This Must Stop Now
We support the goal of a lead-free future — but not through chaos, illegality, and exclusion. The move by Ostend and Antwerp is an attack on aviation freedoms, and if left unchallenged, sets a dangerous precedent for airport access across Europe.
AOPA Luxembourg calls on Belgian authorities and the operators of EBOS and EBAW to:
- Withdraw these bans immediately; or
- Provide the full legal and scientific justification required under EU law.
Until then, these restrictions remain arbitrary, discriminatory, and open to legal challenge.
AOPA Luxembourg stands for lawful access, technical facts, and a fair transition — not political theatre at the expense of General Aviation.