Belgium’s Brussels and Liege airports had to shut down on Tuesday evening due to sightings of drones, causing incoming flights to be redirected and preventing others from taking off. Kurt Verwilligen, a spokesperson for the Belgian air traffic control service, mentioned that a drone was spotted near Brussels Airport, leading to its closure as a safety measure. Despite a brief reopening after two hours of disruption, the airport had to close again following additional drone sightings, leaving the resumption of flights uncertain.
Brussels Airlines, the national carrier, reported that 15 outgoing flights were grounded, while eight incoming flights were rerouted to alternative airports. Furthermore, Liege Airport, primarily utilized as a cargo facility, also faced closure due to drone sightings. These incidents followed previous drone sightings over a Belgian military airbase during the weekend.
Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken, speaking to public broadcaster RTBF, suggested that the drone incident on Tuesday seemed to be orchestrated by professionals aiming to destabilize the country. Drones have been causing significant disruptions across Europe in recent months, with Copenhagen Airport closing for four hours and Oslo Airport for three hours in September due to drone sightings. There were also suspected incursions by Russian drones into Polish and Romanian airspace. Munich’s airport had to shut down twice within a 24-hour period due to drone-related issues.
The recurring drone disruptions have raised concerns and questions about the motives behind these incursions and the potential geopolitical implications associated with such incidents.
