The con­struc­tion and the exten­sion of the air­port had a great impact on the land­scape and for the res­i­dents of the bor­der­ing local­i­ties. To atten­u­ate the neg­a­tive impacts one tried sys­tem­at­i­cal­ly to sur­round the site of the air­port with a wide for­est screen. This for­est, in the horse­shoe shape, sur­rounds the track of take­off. The exist­ing forests were inte­grat­ed in the forests of pro­tec­tion. The breach­es between the exist­ing forests were closed by plan­ta­tions of new forests.

The for­est screen in the horse­shoe shape sur­rounds the airport.

To rein­force the screen effect com­pared to the air­port and the high­way embank­ments were arranged at the side of the local­i­ties of Sen­nin­gen and Sen­ninger­berg. Those were also planted.

Functions of the Forest Screen

The embank­ment next to Sen­nin­gen at the begin­ning of the plan­ta­tions and today

The for­est screen around the air­port fills mul­ti­ple func­tions of which most impor­tant are to ensure a pro­tec­tion against noise pol­lu­tions as well as a visu­al pro­tec­tion but also the inte­gra­tion of the air­port in the land­scape. It also con­tributes to the improve­ment of the cli­mate of the neigh­bor­hoods of the city. The trans­for­ma­tion of agri­cul­tur­al sur­faces into forests involves pos­i­tive effects for pro­tec­tion of the grounds and water. The site of the air­port is in the Sand­stone of Lux­em­bourg, the most impor­tant drink­ing water reser­voir of the coun­try. The for­est avoids evap­o­ra­tion and sup­ports the infil­tra­tion of pre­cip­i­ta­tions in the ground.

Exist­ing for­est and new cul­ti­va­tions com­ple­ment each oth­er. The plan­ta­tions con­sist­ed of robinier false aca­cia, pine, white poplar or trem­bling poplar, all the species of trees which grow well on arid embankments.

View of the east­ern end of the air­port east­ward to the “Bloe­bierg”. Begin­ning of the eight­ies there was still anoth­er view into the land­scape. Today the view is barred by the pro­tec­tion forest.