Belgium’s two key airports faced major disruption on the night of November 4 when reports of drones flying near them forced their temporary closure.
Around 7 p.m. local time (19:00 GMT), a drone sighting near Brussels Airport in Zaventem triggered an immediate shutdown of operations as a safety measure.
The airport reopened after about two hours, but then shut again following additional drone sightings—leaving the precise time of full resumption unclear.
Meanwhile, Liège Airport, a major cargo hub in Belgium, also suspended its operations due to similar drone activity.
As a result of the disruption, the national carrier Brussels Airlines reported that 15 outgoing flights were unable to depart, while eight incoming flights had to be rerouted to other airports.
Belgium’s Defence Minister Theo Francken suggested the drone incidents appeared to be the work of professionals aiming to destabilise the country. He linked the events to drone sightings over a Belgian military air base earlier that weekend.
This episode adds to a growing pattern of drone-related airport disruptions across Europe in recent months, including closures at Copenhagen Airport and Oslo Airport triggered by similar sightings. (Reuters)