Drone Sightings Disrupt Flights at Major Belgian Airports

Sat Nov 15 2025 01:11:00 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Suspicious drone activity leads to flight suspensions at Brussels and Liege airports, affecting travel across Belgium.

Suspected drone sightings have caused significant disruptions to air travel in Belgium, particularly at Brussels Airport, which has seen all flights suspended. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, with reports of similar sightings at Liege Airport as well. Authorities are investigating the situation, which has parallels to drone-related interruptions seen previously in other European cities.

Suspected drone sightings have disrupted flights at airports across Belgium on Tuesday, with no flights departing or arriving at Brussels Airport - the country's busiest.

Air traffic there was suspended around 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT) after a drone sighting. An hour later it briefly reopened, before closing again shortly after.

Liege Airport has also been affected and it is not clear when flights will resume. Local media also reported drone sightings at the Kleine-Brogel and Florennes military airbases.

This is the latest in a series of suspected drone sightings causing disruption at European airports, including in Munich, Copenhagen, and Oslo.

A statement on the Brussels Airport website on Tuesday evening read: There are currently no departing or arriving flights at Brussels Airport due to drone sightings around the airport.

Officials are closely monitoring the situation and promise updates as they become available.

Pictures taken inside the airport show camp beds being prepared for stranded passengers. Meanwhile, at Charleroi, the second-largest airport in Brussels, air traffic was also briefly halted as a precaution.

Previous flights were diverted to Liege, only to be redirected again due to drone sightings. Additional flights were rerouted to nearby airports, including Ostend and Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

This marks the fourth consecutive night of reported drone sightings over Kleine-Brogel, a prominent military base near the Dutch border. Defence Minister Theo Francken has stated that an investigation is ongoing, labeling it a clear mission targeting Kleine Broge. Recently, drones were also spotted over Ostend and Antwerp’s Deurne airports.