Brussels Airport Resumes Operations After Drone Scare Disrupts Flights

(BRUSSELS, BELGIUM) Brussels Airport resumed operations late on November 4, 2025, after multiple drone sightings forced two suspensions of flights, leading to at least 54 flights cancellations, 24 diversions and hundreds of stranded passengers overnight. The first closure came between 8:00 pm and 9:30 pm local time, followed by a second shutdown from 10:00 pm to 11:15 pm, before traffic restarted again around 11:15 pm. Disruptions spilled into Wednesday, November 5, 2025, as airlines worked through delayed departures and diverted arrivals.

Airport officials said the immediate priority was to get stranded travelers moving while maintaining strict safety procedures.

“The safety of our passengers and staff remains our top priority,” Brussels Airport said in a statement.

Belgian air traffic control authority Skeyes restricted movements during the suspensions, as emergency teams and police assessed reports of drones near the airfield. By the end of the night, 54 flights had been canceled and 24 diverted, affecting carriers including Air Malta, Emirates, Ryanair and DHL, and forcing aircraft to reroute to Maastricht and Amsterdam Schiphol.

The twin shutdowns marked the first time Brussels Airport was halted by drones, underscoring how a handful of small, unmanned devices can throw a major European hub off schedule within minutes. Charleroi and Liège airports also briefly paused operations as a precaution during the evening after reports of drone activity, though officials said no drones were observed at Charleroi. Ground crews, police and airport operations teams moved passengers to waiting areas and distributed supplies as the situation unfolded.

Inside the terminal, 400–500 travelers spent the night on camp beds set up by the airport operator, with staff providing water and snacks to those unable to travel. Families stretched out beneath bright departure screens that showed waves of cancellations and delays, as staff offered updates at the gates and service desks. An image by an Associated Press photographer showed a passenger staring at the departures board, highlighting how a night of drone sightings quickly turned into a long wait for hundreds.

Belgium’s leaders moved quickly to frame the incident as a national security concern. Prime Minister Bart De Wever convened the National Security Council to assess the risks around sensitive sites and transport hubs, saying the matter needed attention at the highest level. The council’s meeting was scheduled for Thursday morning, November 6, 2025. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said the pattern of incidents could not be ignored.

“The repetition of incidents linked to drones directly affects the security of our country. We must take action in a calm, serious and coordinated manner,” he posted, as airlines attempted to reset their schedules at daybreak.

Defence Minister Theo Francken said authorities were examining whether the airport disruptions were connected to a series of unidentified drone flights reported over the preceding weekend near a Belgian military base that stores US nuclear weapons. He told public broadcaster RTBF the incident

“appeared to be carried out by professionals intent on destabilising the country,”

comments that intensified scrutiny of airspace protections. Investigators worked with airport security and aviation authorities to trace the origin of the drone sightings and review radar and visual reports logged during the closures.

The evening began normally before the pattern of drone sightings near Brussels Airport set off a sequence that quickly spiraled. The first suspension, from 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm, forced aircraft already taxiing to return to stands and inbound flights to hold or divert. As the airport reopened, traffic began to move again—only for a second set of reports to trigger a fresh shutdown from 10:00 pm until 11:15 pm. Skeyes issued movement restrictions, and airport operations prioritized safety checks, visual sweeps of sensitive zones and coordination with police before giving the all-clear for a second restart late in the evening.

By then, the damage to schedules was clear. Long-haul flights arriving from the Middle East and North Africa were among those diverted to Amsterdam Schiphol, while short-haul European services were sent to Maastricht and other nearby airports. Cargo operations, including services by DHL, were pushed into the night, forcing knock-on delays to logistics chains. With aircraft and crews out of position, airlines began canceling services and rebooking passengers for Wednesday.

Brussels Airport urged passengers to check with their airline before heading to the terminal on Wednesday, warning of residual delays and occasional cancellations as operations recalibrated. Staff handed out vouchers and blankets to those trying to rest in the concourses, while dining outlets extended hours to serve late-night crowds. Social workers and Red Cross volunteers supported families with young children and elderly travelers who needed help accessing beds and water.

The impact rippled to other Belgian airports and across the border. Charleroi and Liège briefly halted operations as a precaution in coordination with national authorities, though officials reported no drones at Charleroi. Air traffic control rerouted flights to manage congestion at Maastricht and Amsterdam Schiphol, where extra ground handling teams were brought in to receive unplanned arrivals and refuel aircraft for ferry flights back to Brussels when conditions allowed.

The episode fits a broader pattern of drone-related airspace disruptions in Europe, where airports in Poland, Denmark and Norway have reported recent incidents, and NATO members have stepped up vigilance over suspected Russian drone activity. Belgium’s aviation rules require strict separation between drones and commercial air traffic, and officials pointed to the need for coordination between local police, national security services and aviation authorities to prevent repeat incidents. The Belgian Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport publishes national aviation safety guidance, including drone regulations that define where and how unmanned aircraft can be flown.

At Brussels Airport, the operational task turned to clearing the backlog. Early morning ground movements on Wednesday focused on repositioning aircraft that had diverted or missed overnight slots, followed by a push to restore regular frequencies on core short-haul routes. Airlines said they would prioritize passengers who missed connections and those whose trips had been canceled during the shutdowns. With aircraft parked overnight at unfamiliar airports, crews faced duty-time limits that further constrained Wednesday’s schedule, complicating efforts to return to normal operations quickly.

Officials said the safety review would assess how the drone sightings were detected and reported, and whether additional technical measures could help identify small unmanned devices near runways. Current procedures rely on a mix of visual surveillance, pilot reports and limited detection systems, and the rapid movement of small drones makes them difficult to track in low light. The evening’s sequence showed how even short suspensions—the first lasting 90 minutes and the second just over an hour—can trigger extensive flights cancellations when they hit during peak evening arrivals and departures.

Passengers described queues at service counters as airlines rebooked tickets and arranged hotel rooms for travelers who could not fly until later in the week. With 400–500 people spending the night in the terminal, staff prioritized vulnerable travelers and families, guided them to rest areas and provided information about early morning departures. Security teams maintained a heightened presence in the departure halls and near the gates, while police vehicles patrolled perimeter roads around Zaventem.

Brussels Airport said the two closures marked a new phase in managing drone risks for a major hub that handles millions of passengers each year. Officials plan to feed the incident timeline, including the 8:00 pm–9:30 pm and 10:00 pm–11:15 pm shutdowns, into a broader review of response protocols alongside Skeyes, national police and the security services. In parallel, airlines that suffered diversions, including Air Malta, Emirates, Ryanair and DHL, are expected to lodge operational reports detailing decision-making and crew duty impacts, standard practice after large-scale disruptions.

For Belgium’s government, the episode sharpened the focus on both deterrence and resilience. Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s decision to convene the National Security Council underscored the seriousness with which authorities view drone incursions near critical infrastructure. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin called for a measured but firm approach—

“The repetition of incidents linked to drones directly affects the security of our country. We must take action in a calm, serious and coordinated manner”—

while Defence Minister Theo Francken’s warning that the airport incident

“appeared to be carried out by professionals intent on destabilising the country”

raised the stakes for investigators seeking to trace the operators behind the devices.

As of Wednesday, operations at Brussels Airport were running again, but with a day of delays ahead and some cancellations still expected as aircraft and crews returned to normal rotations. The numbers painted a stark picture: 54 cancellations, 24 diversions, two evening closures and up to 500 people sleeping in the terminal. After a night defined by drone sightings, the goal for airlines and airport staff was simple—restore confidence, clear the backlog and keep the skies above Belgium safe for the flights that connect the country to the rest of Europe and beyond.