Flights have resumed at Brussels Airport after forced closure on Tuesday owing to drone sightings near the area. Flights from the airport were suspended around 8 pm local time on Tuesday after drone sightings. Liege Airport was also affected by the sightings, forcing air traffic to be halted from the airport.
Latest in a strong of airport closures
Brussels and Liege Airports are latest in a strong of airport closures– Copenhagen, Alborg, Munich and Oslo to name a few, following drone sightings. Local media reported drone sightings near two military bases in the region- Kleine-Brogel and Florennes.
Flights were then either suspended or diverted to nearby airports such as Belgium’s Ostend and Charleroi airports, and Eindhoven and Maastricht in the Netherlands.
Flight disruptions may persist even as operations resume
Flights resumed from Brussels airport on Wednesday morning. The airport, in a statement on X saif that flights were suspended or diverted for safety following these sightings on Tuesday. Even as operations resumed on Wednesday, customers mat still face delays or cancellations.
“Following drone sightings on Tuesday evening, flight operations at Brussels Airport were suspended for safety reasons. This disruption has led to delays and some flight cancellations. As a consequence, flight operations might still be impacted on Wednesday morning. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience. The safety of our passengers and staff remains our top priority,” it said.
Customers may check for updates on the airport’s website or app. It is to yet to be known when flights would fully resume from Liege Airport.
Belgium’s defence minister, Theo Francken earlier this week had said that the ministry had received three reports of drone sightings above Kleine Brogel. A helicopter and police vehicles had pursued the drone but had lost it eventually. An investigation is underway with Francken calling it “a clear mission targeting Kleine Broge”.
Drones were also spotted near Ostend and Antwerp’s Deurne airports over the weekend, as per media reports.
Were you affected by a similar airport closure this year? Do share your thoughts in the comments.
