Brussels Airport Suspends All Flights Following Drone Sighting
Brussels Airport has halted all flight operations after a drone was sighted near the airfield, Belgian air traffic control confirmed. Both departures and arrivals are affected, with an undetermined reopening time.
“There are no flights currently landing or taking off,” a spokeswoman stated. the smaller Liege Airport is also temporarily closed due to similar drone sightings.
According to Kurt Verwilligen, a spokesperson for Belgian air traffic control, the drone was observed near Brussels Airport shortly before 7pm GMT, prompting the precautionary closure. Flight data indicates numerous delays and cancellations, with some flights being diverted.
The airport, located 12 kilometers northeast of Brussels, serves a wide range of international destinations, including cities in the UK, Dubai, and Turkey. A message on the airport’s website reads: “There are currently no departing or arriving flights at Brussels Airport due to drone sightings around the airport. We will provide updates as soon as we have more details.”
The last recorded departure was a 7:30 PM flight to Prague, and the final arrival was at 7:50 PM from Tenerife, Spain.
this incident follows recent airport closures in Poland and Scandinavia linked to drone activity. In September, Lublin Airport in Poland suspended operations after multiple Russian drones reportedly entered polish airspace, triggering a NATO response. Copenhagen and Oslo Airports also experienced brief closures due to drone sightings in September,and drones were detected near a Belgian military air base last weekend.
The number of drones involved and the nature of the incursion remain unclear.
