Liege Airport halts flights after drone sighting — Third incident in a week
Air traffic at Liege Airport was suspended for nearly an hour on Friday morning after air traffic controllers detected a drone flying in a restricted area, the third such incident reported this week.
Operations were halted at 6:56 a.m. and resumed shortly before 8:00 a.m., after the drone was spotted near FedEx facilities on airport grounds. Authorities said only one flight was delayed, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The incident marks the first daytime appearance of a drone at Liege Airport, following a string of nighttime flyovers above airports, military bases, and other sensitive sites across Belgium.
Flights at Liege were also suspended on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with the most recent disruption lasting from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. and affecting four flights. A drone was also detected over Brussels Airport on Thursday at around 9:20 p.m., briefly interrupting operations there.
Belgian defense officials have raised concerns after multiple unidentified drones were seen over the Kleine-Brogel air base, which houses U.S. nuclear weapons.
Defense Minister Theo Francken said the drones appeared to be spying on fighter jets and ammunition depots, while Army Chief Frederik Vansina instructed troops to shoot down any suspicious devices “without causing collateral damage.”
Belgian intelligence services believe the recent drone activity may be linked to a foreign state actor, with Russia considered the primary suspect behind the disruptions.
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