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Belgium Closes Airspace Twice After Suspected Drones Disrupt Major Airports

Officials call the activity a coordinated attempt by professionals to destabilize the country without assigning blame.

Overview

  • Air navigation service Skeyes halted all traffic nationwide twice on Tuesday night after drone reports near Brussels-Zaventem and Liège, with flights resuming overnight.
  • Brussels Airport canceled dozens of services, with about 400 to 500 passengers forced to stay overnight as operations are expected to normalize during the day.
  • Charleroi temporarily suspended arrivals as a precaution, and Liège’s mainly cargo operations were halted for roughly six hours before reopening just before 2 a.m.
  • Recent overflights of the Kleine-Brogel base, reputed to host U.S. nuclear weapons, and the Florennes air base triggered investigations by federal prosecutors and military intelligence.
  • Defense Minister Theo Francken described a professional, coordinated effort to sow panic, the interior minister requested an emergency national security council meeting, and no perpetrator has been identified.