Photo: Reuters
On the morning of November 7, the airport in Liège, Belgium, temporarily suspended operations after an unidentified drone was spotted nearby — marking the third such incident in a week.
According to RTBF, air traffic was halted at 6:56 a.m. and resumed just before 8:00 a.m. The drone was reportedly seen near facilities belonging to the logistics company FedEx. Airport officials said the disruption had only a limited impact on operations.
Belgium has since convened an emergency National Security Council meeting in response to the string of drone-related incidents. Following the meeting, Defense Minister Theo Francken announced that the National Air Security Center (NASC) would receive expanded powers to address the growing threat.
In recent weeks, multiple drone sightings have raised alarm across Belgium. In late October, unidentified drones were detected twice over a military base in the country. On the night of November 1, several drones were observed over the Kleine-Brogel Air Base in the Limburg province. The defense minister said they were likely used for spying on F-16 fighter jets and ammunition depots.
Belgian armed forces have been ordered to shoot down any unidentified drones flying over military bases. On November 5, Brussels Airport also temporarily grounded all flights after another drone was detected in the area.
