The Brussels Airport aviation police – who are responsible for border controls – are asking the Federal Government for 100 additional police officers at the airport in Zaventem as they are structurally understaffed.
This structural understaffing is not new: more than a third of the staff (183 people) was already missing in 2023, according to the memorandum published before the elections by the airport operator.
"This leads to long queues at border controls, delays and even passengers missing their flights," the memorandum said. "This problem jeopardises the operation of the hub for intercontinental flights and also dissuades airlines from opening new routes to Brussels."
Extra staff for EES
Waiting times at border controls had recently reached almost two hours at peak times, Het Nieuwsblad reports. According to Brussels Airport, this is an exceptional situation. "The average waiting time is 10 to 20 minutes," a spokesperson said.
Additionally, the staff shortage of police officers at the airport has since decreased slightly: of the 533 planned border control officers, there are now 415. Still, Brussels Airport calls on the government "to fully fill the personnel framework of the aviation police."
Importantly, extra staff will also be needed when the European Union's new Entry-Exit System (EES) comes into force, with central registration and biometric screening of all non-EU citizens. "The processing time per non-EU passenger by the Federal Police will then increase structurally and substantially," the airport said.
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According to ACV Police, the "huge staff shortage among airport police is known to all competent authorities. And yet they are unable to recruit additional officers," union secretary Joery Dehaes said. "This is not a matter of extra wages alone. They could also make other employment conditions more interesting."
The memorandum also called for sufficient staffing for the Skeyes air traffic controller, legally safe flight paths, "realistic and achievable" noise standards in Brussels and fair conditions of competition between Belgian airports.
