Belgium’s Brussels and Liege airports had to shut down on Tuesday evening due to drone sightings, causing incoming planes to be redirected and preventing others from taking off. Kurt Verwilligen, a representative from the Belgian air traffic control service, mentioned that a drone was spotted near Brussels Airport before its closure as a safety measure around 8 p.m. local time.
After a brief reopening following two hours of disruptions, Belgium’s busiest airport had to close again due to additional drone sightings, leaving the resumption of flights uncertain. Brussels Airlines, the national carrier, reported that 15 outbound flights were grounded, and eight incoming flights had to be diverted to alternative airports.
Liege Airport, primarily used for cargo transportation, also faced closure because of drone sightings, as confirmed by an airport spokesperson. These incidents occurred after drones were observed over a Belgian military air base over the weekend.
Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken stated in an interview with public broadcaster RTBF that the incident on Tuesday seemed to be orchestrated by skilled individuals aiming to destabilize the country. Drone-related disruptions have been a prevalent issue across Europe lately, with incidents such as the temporary closure of Copenhagen Airport for four hours and Oslo Airport for three hours due to drone sightings. There were also suspected instances of Russian drone intrusions into Polish and Romanian airspace. Munich’s airport had to shut down twice within a 24-hour period due to drone activities.
The recurring drone disruptions have raised concerns and questions regarding the motives behind these incursions, particularly in relation to geopolitical tensions.
