Belgium’s main airports in Brussels and Liege faced closures on Tuesday evening due to drone sightings, causing incoming flights to be diverted and preventing some planes from taking off. Kurt Verwilligen, a spokesperson for the Belgian air traffic control service, confirmed the closure of Brussels Airport after a drone was spotted in the vicinity, leading to a temporary shutdown as a safety measure.
Following a brief reopening of Belgium’s busiest airport after initial disruption, it was shut down again due to additional drone sightings, with the resumption of flights remaining uncertain. Brussels Airlines reported that 15 outbound flights were grounded, while eight incoming flights were redirected to alternative airports.
In a parallel incident, Liege Airport, primarily utilized as a cargo hub, also had to cease operations due to drone sightings, according to an airport representative. These occurrences followed previous instances of drones flying over a Belgian military air base during the past weekend.
Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken expressed concerns to public broadcaster RTBF, suggesting that the drone incident on Tuesday appeared to be orchestrated by skilled individuals with the aim of destabilizing the country. Similar drone disruptions have been witnessed across Europe in recent months, including the closure of Copenhagen Airport for four hours and Oslo Airport for three hours due to drone sightings. Suspected Russian drone infiltrations into Polish and Romanian airspace have also been reported.
Additionally, Munich Airport had to shut down twice within a 24-hour period due to drone activities. These incidents highlight the growing challenges posed by drones in disrupting air traffic and raising security concerns in various regions.
[Source](https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/belgium-brussels-airports-closed-drones-9.6966947)