As part of the Stargate sustainable aviation project, Brussels Airport and the province of Flemish Brabant have appointed a bike manager.
Steven Fagard will map out the bike potential at the airport and develop concrete measures and actions to give a boost to the number of cyclists.
Within the Stargate Project, initiatives are being developed for a greener airport and to further turn airports into modern mobility hubs that enable travellers, employees and local residents to combine means of transport in a smart and efficient way. Fagard is staff member mobility management at the province of Flemish Brabant, and will be seconded to Brussels Airport for two years.
“Our collaboration within Stargate enables us to deploy the expertise available in the province of Flemish Brabant in a focused way at the airport. With 24,000 people employed by the various companies at Brussels Airport, the bicycle is a possible alternative for many of them, which they might not yet know very well. By mapping the missing links and needs and by raising awareness, we want to make the bicycle a viable alternative for commuting,” said Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport.
Tom Dehaene, commissioner for mobility at the Province of Flemish Brabant, explained: "Since 2021, the airport has been connected to the F3, the busy cycle highway between Leuven and Brussels. The challenge is to convince a growing number of employees and travellers to use that infrastructure when travelling to and from the airport. If more people make use of the bike, that is not only good for the environment and the mobility in our region but also for the health of our population.”
Brussels Airport already provides bike parking facilities with charging points for electric bicycles for both passengers and employees, and within new developments such as Brucargo Central attention is paid to cycle infrastructure and accessibility. Today, around 4% of the employees of the companies at Brussels Airport come to work by bike; the bike manager will now further map the cycling potential at the airport and propose concrete measures to improve the infrastructure and sign-posting even further, and also develop actions to stimulate the use of the bike.
“You may not immediately associate an airport with cycling, but there is enthusiasm and potential. There are many cycle ambassadors working here who can encourage their colleagues to use their bike more frequently. As bike manager, I want to ensure that all conditions are provided to make that as pleasant and safe as possible,” concluded Steven Fagard.
Image: Brussels Airport
