Disruption to Civil Air Traffic
In the evening, drones were first detected near Brussels Airport, Belgium’s largest airport. The air navigation service provider, Skeyes, responded by swiftly closing operations, suspending both departures and arrivals twice during the night—first around 20:00 and again at 22:00.
The disruption resulted in 34 cancelled departures and 36 delays, while arrivals were affected by 27 cancellations and 14 delays. Several aircraft had to be diverted to airports in Amsterdam and Maastricht-Aachen. Consequently, passengers at Brussels Airport spent the night in tents and other makeshift accommodation.
The situation also affected other Belgian airports, including Liège, Antwerp, Ostend-Bruges, and Brussels-Charleroi. Charleroi Airport preemptively halted its own operations to handle diverted flights.
Threat to Military Bases and Geopolitical Tensions
The incident was not limited to civil aviation. Drones were also spotted near the Kleine Brogel and Florennes military air bases, which play a crucial role in NATO’s defence structure, including the management of nuclear assets. The Belgian Minister of Defence warned of the risk of espionage and stressed the urgent need for a full investigation.
This event occurs amid rising geopolitical tensions in Europe. Similar airspace incursions have also been reported by Poland and the Baltic states, suggesting they could be part of broader intelligence operations with potentially serious implications for NATO’s security policy.
What’s Next?
Belgian security forces are now working intensively to identify the origin of the drones and to strengthen airspace protection measures. The event has clearly demonstrated the vulnerability of modern airspace and the challenges posed by emerging unmanned systems technology.
Source: Aerotime
