Drone report halts air traffic at Brussels Airport
Air traffic at Brussels Airport was halted on Tuesday evening for safety reasons, following a drone report, air traffic controller skeyes confirmed. Drones were also spotted near the Kleine-Brogel air base.
A little before 8 p.m., there was a report of a drone over the airport’s territory, said skeyes spokesman Kurt Verwilligen. "For safety reasons, all air traffic has been halted for the time being," he said. Flights were diverted to surrounding airports, including Charleroi and Liège.
It is the first time that air traffic at Brussels Airport has been halted due to a drone. Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere in Europe: drones forced airports in Copenhagen, Oslo and Aalborg to close temporarily in September, while Munich Airport had to suspend operations twice in 24 hours in October.
More drones at Kleine-Brogel
Around 7 p.m., residents also reported seeing six drones near the Kleine-Brogel military air base in Peer. Local police went to the scene and were able to visually confirm two of the drones, Het Nieuwsblad writes.
The latest incidents come after several sightings at the air base over the past weekend. Kleine-Brogel, which houses Belgium’s F-16 fighter jets, is known to store American nuclear weapons. Attempts to intercept or jam the drones were unsuccessful.
PHOTO © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS
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