Lasers target five aircraft approaching Brussels Airport over Dilbeek

Laser strikes over Dilbeek

Five commercial aircraft approaching Brussels Airport were targeted with laser beams overnight between Friday and Saturday. The incidents took place as the planes navigated the approach route toward runway 07L over the municipality of Dilbeek. Air traffic controller Skeyes confirmed the reports after crews on five separate flights notified the Brussels Airport control tower of laser light directed into their cockpits. The first disruption occurred on Friday night at 21:45, with the final incident logged early Saturday morning at 02:43. Skeyes spokesperson Kurt Verwilligen described the exposure experienced by the flight crews.

They all had a laser pointed at their faces, between 8:45 in the evening and 2:45 in the morning.

Police search and safety response

All five aircraft completed their approaches and landed safely at Brussels Airport without physical injuries reported among passengers or crew. Because laser beams can blind pilots and compromise cockpit vision during critical landing phases, airport traffic controllers alerted the local Dilbeek police zone immediately. Responding officers dispatched patrols across the area but were unable to locate any suspects or pinpoint the source of the beams. Police commissioner Koen Luppens outlined the tactical difficulties faced by officers on the ground.

We immediately sent a patrol in that direction. But without an exact location, that is mission impossible. It is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Local police have asked residents to report any suspicious activity or sightings, though no formal criminal complaint has been filed and no suspects have been identified.

Dispute over flight path RNP 07L

The laser incidents occurred along the RNP 07L flight path, also known locally as the Crucke route, which has faced growing opposition from nearby communities. Under the European GPS-guided landing procedure, aircraft follow a direct line over residential districts before touching down at Zaventem. On 11 June, the government of the Brussels-Capital Region initiated a cessation action against the flight path, citing environmental data showing that over 270,000 residents experience noise disturbance and that 96% of measured flights exceed regional noise thresholds. The Brussels municipalities of Koekelberg, Schaerbeek, and Sint-Jans-Molenbeek joined the legal resistance. Earlier in August, a citizen collective named Bruegelvogelvrij, representing 42 families from Dilbeek, Lennik, and Roosdaal, also launched a lawsuit against the Belgian federal state over noise pollution. Police stated that no evidence currently connects the laser disruptions to the ongoing flight route dispute.

Laser trends and criminal penalties

Pointing laser devices at aircraft constitutes a criminal offence under Belgian law and carries penalties that include imprisonment. Data from Skeyes shows that 169 laser incidents were recorded across Belgian airspace in 2025. That figure marked an 80% increase compared to the previous year, following a decade of steady declines in laser reports. While laser harassment occurs throughout the country, experiencing five targeted flights in a single evening over the same municipality represents a concentrated cluster for air traffic controllers. Belgian authorities continue to monitor airspace activity around Zaventem as police maintain patrols across Dilbeek.