BELGIUM | Governments clash over Brussels Airport border chaos as summer crisis looms

The Flemish and federal governments are scrambling to resolve a long-running dispute over excessive queues at Brussels Airport’s border control, as warnings of a chaotic summer grow louder. The issue, driven by a chronic shortage of border police, has left business travellers and tourists facing waits of up to four hours, with 600 passengers missing flights in the last week of March alone.

Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele (N-VA) has repeatedly urged Federal Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) to address the crisis, criticising his responses as inadequate for lacking clear timelines or measurable commitments. Diependaele described the situation as damaging to Belgium’s image and confirmed that business leaders share his concerns.

Brussels Airport CEO Arnaud Feist has warned of potential chaos this summer if no solution is found, citing overloaded baggage carousels and passengers collapsing in queues, which he said creates safety risks. He added that Belgian families returning from non-European Union destinations also face delays, as children under 12 cannot use e-gates and must join the manual passport control lines.

Unions

Police unions have raised alarms about the quality of border checks, claiming that inexperienced officers with limited training are being deployed to fill staffing gaps. Diederich Poisket of ACOD / CGSP, the largest union for aviation police, stated that at times, all border control positions are manned by these assistants, leaving no experienced officers available to handle suspicious cases. 

The Federal Police acknowledged the use of assistant border controllers but insisted they always work alongside experienced colleagues to maintain control quality.

Quintin has attributed the problem not only to staffing but also to inadequate infrastructure, noting that the airport’s six control booths can accommodate a maximum of 12 officers. He argued that Brussels Airport, whose largest shareholder is the Flemish Government, must invest in expanding facilities rather than prioritising projects like a new parking tower. The airport has resisted calls to stagger early-morning arrivals of large intercontinental flights, which unions claim exacerbate the bottlenecks.

The Federal Police confirmed that biometric checks, including fingerprint and facial scans, have added complexity to the process. Meanwhile, calls to expand the list of low-risk countries whose citizens can use e-gates – currently limited to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Singapore – have been met with resistance from Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA).

The issue will be discussed at an emergency meeting of Belgium’s Consultative Committee, which brings together the federal and regional governments, this week, as pressure mounts to avoid a summer of travel disruptions.

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