Belgian authorities have launched an investigation into a series of drone sightings that disrupted air traffic overnight at several airports, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded before operations gradually resumed on Wednesday.
The Brussels International Airport and Liege Airport were both forced to suspend flight arrivals and departures late Tuesday following multiple reports of unidentified drones in their vicinity.
The shutdown, which lasted several hours, led to the cancellation of dozens of passenger and cargo flights, with an estimated 500 travellers spending the night inside Brussels Airport as authorities worked to ensure safety.
Belgium’s Interior Minister, Bernard Quintin, confirmed that a full-scale investigation was underway to determine the number of drones involved and those responsible for the incident.
He added that the government would convene a meeting of the National Security Council on Thursday to assess the security implications and devise preventive measures.
“The recurrence of drone-related incidents directly affects the security of our country. We must act in a calm, serious, and coordinated manner,” Quintin stated on X.
The disruption follows a recent wave of mysterious drone activities targeting airports and sensitive military installations across Europe, incidents that have raised growing concern among security agencies in countries such as Germany and Denmark.
The latest episode also comes amid mounting suspicions of possible Russian links to increased drone operations in Europe, as the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year and tensions with NATO countries remain high.
Just days earlier, Belgian officials had reported unidentified drone movements over the Kleine-Brogel military base, a highly restricted site believed to house U.S. nuclear weapons.
According to a spokesperson for Skeyes, Belgium’s air traffic control authority, flight operations resumed by early Wednesday morning, after security assessments confirmed that the affected airspaces were safe for travel.
