Belgian airspace was thrown into chaos on Tuesday evening, November 4, 2025, after unidentified drones were spotted over Brussels Zaventem Airport, forcing a temporary but immediate halt to all air traffic. The incident, confirmed by the Belgian broadcaster RTBF, is the latest in a wave of airspace violations that have put the nation’s security forces on high alert.
The drone sighting at the country’s main international airport occurred around 8:00 p.m. local time. Skeyes, Belgium’s air traffic control provider, confirmed the incident and immediately suspended operations, diverting inbound flights to other airports, including Ostend-Bruges and Charleroi.
While airport operations have since resumed, the event marks a frightening escalation. It follows three consecutive nights of sophisticated drone incursions over sensitive military sites, including the Kleine Brogel Air Base, which is believed to store U.S. nuclear weapons, and the Marche-en-Famenne base.
Defense Minister Theo Francken has called the military base incursions a “spy operation” and “not the work of amateurs,” noting the drones were able to change frequencies to evade jamming. The Belgian military has now been authorized to shoot down any unauthorized drones over its bases.
The appearance of drones at Brussels Airport, a major civilian hub, demonstrates a significant and brazen new threat. The Belgian government is now under intense pressure to secure its airspace from this coordinated “hybrid threat,” which has successfully disrupted both military and critical civilian infrastructure in a matter of days.
