Due to the interference of drones, Brussels Airport and Liege Airport in Belgium were closed on Tuesday evening (November 4), forcing many incoming flights to change their landing locations, with some outbound flights unable to take off.
A spokesperson for the Belgian air traffic control agency, Kurt Verwilligen, stated that shortly before 8 p.m. local time (19:00 GMT), drones were spotted near Brussels Airport, prompting the airport to close for safety reasons.
Brussels Airport is the busiest airport in Belgium. After a two-hour interruption, it briefly reopened but was closed again due to another drone sighting. The resumption of flights remains unclear.
The national airline, Brussels Airlines, reported that 15 outbound flights could not take off, and 8 incoming flights were diverted to other airports.
A spokesperson for Liege Airport, a major cargo hub, also confirmed the closure due to the presence of drones.
Prior to this incident, drones were also spotted over a Belgian military airbase last weekend.
Defense Minister Theo Francken told public broadcaster RTBF that Tuesday’s incident appears to have been carried out by professionals with the intention to disrupt national stability.
In recent months, drones have caused significant disruptions in Europe. In September, Copenhagen Airport and Oslo Airport were closed for four hours and three hours respectively after drone sightings. Additionally, airspace violations by suspected Russian drones have been reported in Poland and Romania.
(Translated and adapted from a report by Reuters)