On the evening of November 4, Brussels International Airport was closed following reports of a drone in its airspace. This information is provided by Reuters.
According to reports from RTBF, several UAV groups were spotted over Belgium, particularly near Brussels and Liège airports. Representatives of the airport and the Belgian air traffic management service reported that all flights had been suspended, and currently, no aircraft is departing or landing.
The incident occurred around 7:00 PM GMT when an unmanned aerial vehicle was seen near Brussels Airport. The decision to close the airport was made for safety reasons.
The press service of Liège Airport also reported a temporary halt in operations due to the discovery of drones. Currently, checks are ongoing, and information about the duration of the airports' closure is not provided.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary criticized the leadership of the European Union for the lack of decisive actions to combat drones disrupting airport operations in Europe. He calls for such drones to be shot down.
Recall that on October 31, air traffic at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) was temporarily suspended for nearly two hours due to the discovery of unidentified drones.
The situation with the closure of Brussels Airport due to a drone highlights the ongoing threat that unmanned aerial vehicles pose to aviation and security. It requires effective measures regarding the detection and neutralization of drones to prevent similar incidents in the future.