Airport traffic disrupted by drone sighting in Brussels on Sept 11

Air traffic in Brussels was disrupted for half an hour on Sept 11, officials said on Sept 12, after a drone was spotted.

BRUSSELS - Traffic at Brussels airport was disrupted for half an hour on the evening of Sept 11 after a drone was spotted, air traffic control operator Skeyes said on Sept 12, almost a year after a string of similar sightings caused major concern in the country.

The drone procedure was launched, which includes an interruption of traffic at the runway until 30 minutes after the last sighting, spokesperson Kurt Verwilgen said.

He declined to give any details on the kind of drone it was or how many flights were diverted.

The drone disappeared after the sightings, he added.

In November 2025, Belgian authorities announced the purchase of defensive kamikaze drones from a Latvian company after a string of such incursions near civilian airports, military bases and a nuclear power plant in the previous weeks caused disruptions and raised safety concerns.

Belgian officials at the time had said the incursions bore the hallmark of Russian interference, while acknowledging they had no proof. Russia denied any involvement. REUTERS