Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Brussels Airport faced severe disruption by drone activity, forcing a temporary shutdown and massive flight cancellations. This event has prompted calls for Belgium to urgently strengthen its aerial security and drone defence capabilities amid ongoing drone threats in European airspace.
Drone Attacks Bring Brussels Airport Operations to a Halt
As reported by Marisa Garcia of Forbes, Brussels Airport experienced a significant operational crisis early in September 2025 when multiple drone incursions forced a shutdown lasting several hours. The airport was left paralysed, with many flights delayed, diverted, or cancelled, affecting thousands of passengers.
A statement from Brussels Airport described the situation as “a dreaded scenario” that exposed considerable vulnerabilities in Belgium’s ability to defend critical infrastructure from increasingly sophisticated drone attacks.
Widespread Impact on Flights and Passengers
The drone activity resulted in the cancellation of dozens of flights and caused ripple effects across European air travel. Airlines were asked to reduce their schedules by 50% temporarily to relieve pressure on recovery operations.
Brussels officials stressed that operations were restricted to essential flights only, causing severe disruption and overwhelming ground staff, who had to switch to manual check-in and boarding processes due to simultaneous cyberattacks on aviation IT systems.
Statement from Belgian Authorities on Preparedness
Belgian security officials admitted being unprepared for such a coordinated drone assault. The Defence Ministry acknowledged current systems are “not yet ready” to entirely neutralise drone threats, underscoring the urgent need to enhance technology and protocols.
A government insider told The Brussels Signal that Belgium is accelerating procurement of specialized drone detection and countermeasures technology, including radar systems, jamming devices, and drone interception drones, to build a multi-layer aerial defence shield.
Drone Activity Linked to Wider European ‘Hybrid Attacks’
This attack on Brussels follows a pattern of drone incursions at several European airports, including Copenhagen, Oslo, and Berlin, suggesting orchestrated hybrid warfare tactics targeting critical infrastructure across the continent.
Denmark’s Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen labelled the attacks a “professional actor” operation, designed to instil fear and disrupt civil and military aviation operations as part of a systematic campaign.
Simultaneous Cyberattacks Compound the Crisis
The drone disruptions coincided with a large cyberattack against Collins Aerospace’s widely used MUSE airport systems at Brussels and other major airports like Berlin and Heathrow. This forced a fallback to manual processes in check-in, boarding, and baggage handling, further escalating disruption.
Security experts warn that combining cyber and drone attacks illustrates the fragile vulnerabilities within European aviation’s interconnected physical and digital infrastructure.
Security Enhancements and EU Coordination
Belgian and European Union officials are convening to accelerate joint aerial security initiatives, focusing on rapid information sharing, drone detection technologies, and building resilience against multi-vector attacks.
The deployment of Australia’s DroneSentry-X Mk2 drone jamming system at Copenhagen and similar systems across Europe reflect increasing investment in counter-drone defences.
Public Safety and Travel Advisory
Passengers are advised to remain patient as airports rebuild full services and to monitor airline communications for updates on flight rescheduling and route disruptions. Authorities emphasise vigilance and cooperation with security protocols.
