Belgium’s Brussels and Liege airports faced closures on Tuesday evening due to the sighting of drones, leading to the diversion of several incoming flights and halting others from taking off.
According to Kurt Verwilligen, a spokesperson for the Belgian air traffic control service, a drone was spotted near Brussels Airport before 8 p.m. local time, prompting the airport’s closure as a safety measure.
After a brief reopening following two hours of disruption, Brussels Airport shut down again due to additional drone sightings, leaving the resumption of flights uncertain.
Brussels Airlines, the national carrier, reported that 15 outbound flights were grounded, while eight incoming flights were redirected to alternative airports.
Liege Airport, primarily used for cargo operations, also experienced closures due to drone sightings, confirmed by an airport representative.
These incidents come in the wake of drone sightings over a Belgian military air base during the previous weekend. Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken expressed concerns on a public broadcast, suggesting that the professionals behind Tuesday’s drone incident aimed to destabilize the country.
Drones have caused significant disruptions across Europe in recent months. Instances include the closure of Copenhagen Airport for four hours and Oslo Airport for three hours in September due to drone sightings. Suspected Russian drone intrusions into Polish and Romanian airspace have also been reported.
Munich Airport had to close twice within a 24-hour period due to drone-related issues.
The pervasive nature of drone disruptions underscores the growing challenges faced by European airports in managing airspace security.