Redazione RHC : 4 November 2025 22:42
On Tuesday evening, due to the presence of a drone in the airspace, air traffic controller Skeyes ordered the temporary suspension of flights departing and arriving at Brussels Airport from 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM.
Subsequently, around 10:00 PM, the first reports were received that the airspace had been closed again.
Several planes have been diverted to other airports, such as Maastricht and even Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam). This is the first time that air traffic at Brussels Airport has been disrupted by a drone, but similar incidents have occurred elsewhere in Europe.
Indeed, drones forced Copenhagen, Oslo, and Aalborg airports to temporarily close in September, while Munich Airport had to suspend operations twice in 24 hours in October.
Planes that failed to land at Brussels Airport were initially diverted to Liège Airport , but drones were also reported there. Flights bound for both airports were later diverted to Maastricht and Cologne airports, according to French broadcaster RTBF. “There is still no evidence of a connection between the reports from Brussels and Liège,” Skeyes said.
After briefly reopening around 9:30 p.m., the airspace over Liège Airport was also closed again following new drone sightings, according to the Belga press agency. The European air traffic control organization Eurocontrol also reported disruptions to air traffic at the regional airports of Antwerp, Ostend, Liège, and Charleroi.
Residents called the local police, who immediately arrived on the scene and were able to visually confirm the presence of two drones, Mayor Steven Matheï (CD&V) confirmed to the Belga press agency on Tuesday evening. Attempts to intercept or block the drones were unsuccessful.
“It’s not entirely clear yet, because the Ministry of Defense hasn’t been able to detect any drones. The Federal Police helicopter has been called in to track the aircraft if necessary,” Matheï said. Nothing was reportedly detected at the airbase itself.
Last weekend, drones were spotted three times over Kleine-Brogel Air Base, and more sightings have recently been made over other military sites as well.
On Monday, the Belgian army was ordered to shoot down drones flying over military territory, provided it could be done safely—without collateral damage, but that’s not a given. Furthermore, since these drones are small, fast, and highly maneuverable, there’s no guarantee they can be hit.
Who or what is behind the numerous drones recently spotted remains unclear for now. Defense Minister Theo Francken (N-VA) has speculated that Russia might be the culprit, but no evidence has yet been found to support this claim.
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