Drone Sightings Disrupt Air Travel: Brussels and Liège Airports Temporarily Closed

Drone sightings disrupt operations at Brussels and Liège airports

Brussels and Liège airports in Belgium were temporarily shut on Tuesday evening after drones were spotted near flight paths, forcing many inbound flights to divert and preventing others from taking off.

According to Kurt Verwilligen, a spokesman for Belgian air traffic control, a drone was reported near Brussels Airport shortly before 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET). The airport was closed immediately as a security precaution. After about two hours of disruption it briefly reopened, but officials ordered a renewed closure following further drone sightings; it remained unclear when full normal operations would resume.

National carrier Brussels Airlines said 15 outbound services were unable to depart and eight incoming flights were rerouted to other airports. Liège Airport, which primarily handles cargo traffic, was also closed after drone activity was reported, an airport spokesperson said.

Defense Minister Theo Francken told public broadcaster RTBF that Tuesday’s incidents "appeared to be carried out by professionals intent on destabilizing the country."

These events follow reports of drones over a Belgian military air base during the previous weekend. Drone activity has caused significant disruption across Europe in recent months — including multi-hour closures at Copenhagen and Oslo airports in September — and authorities have reported suspected drone incursions into Polish and Romanian airspace attributed to Russian activity.

What travelers should know

Passengers are advised to check with their airline or the affected airports for the latest flight-status updates and travel guidance. Authorities continue to investigate the incidents; no further operational details or confirmed motives have been released publicly.