skeyes and Flemish regional airports strengthen cooperation on sustainable airport management

Signing of joint environmental management agreement

Brussels, 1 July 2026 – skeyes and the Flemish regional airports of Kortrijk-Wevelgem, Antwerp and Ostend-Bruges today signed three Collaborative Environmental Management (CEM) Working Agreements. Through these agreements, the parties involved commit to further strengthening their cooperation on the environment, sustainability and operational efficiency at and around the airports.

With the CEM Working Agreements, skeyes and the airport operators involved formalise their cooperation to limit the environmental impact of operational activities at and around the airports. The focus is on, among other things, noise, local air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, fuel efficiency and the introduction of innovative technologies.

“With these agreements, we are taking an important step in making regional aviation in Flanders more sustainable. Sustainability requires cooperation. By bringing skeyes, the airports and other operational partners around the table, we can develop concrete solutions that are both operationally feasible and environmentally relevant.” — Johan Decuyper, CEO of skeyes

The CEM approach was developed by EUROCONTROL to encourage cooperation between the main operational stakeholders at airports. By sharing knowledge, data and expertise, airports, air navigation service providers and airspace users can develop more targeted measures that contribute to the sustainable development of aviation.

EUROCONTROL was represented at the signing by Tânia Cardoso Simões.
“Collaborative Environmental Management is a practical example of the partnership-based approach at the heart of EUROCONTROL’s Trajectory 2030 Strategy. By bringing airports, air navigation service providers and other operational stakeholders together around shared environmental objectives, CEM helps deliver more efficient operations while supporting Europe’s ambition for a more sustainable and resilient aviation network. We welcome the commitment shown by skeyes and the Flemish regional airports to making aviation more sustainable.” — Raúl Medina, Director General of EUROCONTROL

The agreements were signed by Johan Decuyper, CEO of skeyes, on behalf of the Belgian air navigation service provider. For Kortrijk-Wevelgem International Airport, the agreement was signed by CEO Pieter Decloedt. For the airports of Antwerp and Ostend-Bruges, the agreements were signed by CEO Nathan De Valck. EUROCONTROL was represented at the signing by Tânia Cardoso Simões, Aviation Transformation Director.

Nathan De Valck, CEO of Antwerp and Ostend-Bruges airports, shakes hands with skeyes CEO Johan Decuyper.
“Sustainability is an essential part of how we want to develop our airports today and in the future. Environmental and climate challenges call for a collective approach. By bringing together knowledge, expertise and innovation, we can deliver solutions that allow economic growth and sustainable airport operations to go hand in hand. The CEM agreements provide a strong framework for this and are fully aligned with our long-term vision for the Flemish regional airports.” — Nathan De Valck, CEO of Antwerp Airport and Ostend-Bruges Airport
Pieter Decloedt, CEO of Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport, signed the CEM agreement
“The future development of our airport can only take place in balance with its environment. The CEM provides us with a practical methodology for working effectively with all relevant partners on improvements and innovations that benefit both the environment and the airport.”— Pieter Decloedt, CEO of Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport

For the Flemish regional airports, these agreements provide an important framework for continuing to improve environmental performance and supporting the long-term vision for the regional airports. The CEM working groups will meet regularly and may, where necessary, involve additional stakeholders, experts, authorities or users.

Note to editors

Interested media representatives may attend the signing at the skeyes headquarters.

Spokesperson
​Kurt Verwilligen
​Telephone : ​ +32 2 206 20 07
​E-mail : kve@skeyes.be of press@skeyes.be

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About skeyes

skeyes ensures the safety and efficiency of air traffic in Belgium 24/7. The skeyes air traffic controllers manage over 3,000 aircraft every day, which makes up over a million flight movements per year. The autonomous public company is active at the heart of Europe, in one of the busiest and most complex sections of airspace of the continent. skeyes is active at Brussels Airport and at the airports of Antwerp, Charleroi, Kortrijk, Liège and Ostend. Thanks to its CANAC 2 control centre skeyes manages the flight movements above Belgium and a part of Luxembourg up to an altitude of 7,500 metres (*). The company relies on its nearly 900 experienced staff members who are at the service of their customers: airline companies, airports, the aviation sector and the authorities. skeyes also develops innovating services regarding drones and contributes to a sustainable future of the aviation sector, among other things with respect to the environment.

skeyes is a member of FABEC, a joint airspace block (Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland) with the aim of improving air navigation efficiency in the heart of Europe in the framework of the Single European Sky.

www.skeyes.be

(*) The upper airspace of the Benelux countries and North West Germany is managed jointly with the EUROCONTROL centre in Maastricht. 

Contact

Tervuursesteenweg 303 1820 Steenokkerzeel Belgium

+32 2 206 21 11

press@skeyes.be

www.skeyes.be