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BELGIUM | Defence Ministry sees Antwerp Airport as strategic asset as pilot training school expands despite uncertainty over Deurne’s future

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The Belgian Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Antwerp International Airport (also: Antwerp City Airport) in Deurne remains a strategic asset for military operations and training, with the armed forces carrying out more than 200 flight movements per year at the regional airport in recent years, Gazet van Antwerpen reports. 

Defence officials say the airport will continue to be used in the future, including by new training aircraft ordered from Swiss manufacturer Pilatus, while the largest pilot training school on the site is simultaneously expanding its facilities amid ongoing uncertainty about the airport’s long-term future.

In a letter from the cabinet of Federal Defence Minister Theo Francken (N-VA) to Flemish Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder (also N-VA), the ministry stated that Antwerp Airport can serve as an alternative airport when military airfields are unavailable due to weather or other circumstances. 

Defence also highlighted the airport’s proximity to critical infrastructure such as the Port of Antwerp, industrial installations and nuclear facilities, arguing that this makes Deurne a potential operational base in times of crisis. 

Francken said the airport is not a minor detail for defence but a real added value, with an important role for training, operational flexibility and crisis situations.

Pilatus

The statement comes as Belgium prepares to receive 18 new PC-7 MKX training aircraft from Pilatus, with deliveries expected from 2027. The aircraft will be used to train military pilots. Until recently, the armed forces operated older Marchetti aircraft from Deurne, but these have been banned from the airport since last year because they run on leaded fuel.

According to LEM Antwerpen, the private company that operates Antwerp Airport, cooperation with the military has been intensive for years. The company reports that more than 200 military take-offs and landings have taken place annually in recent years, mostly training flights from military bases. 

Military services from neighbouring countries such as the Netherlands, France and Germany have also used the airport. LEM Antwerpen says the arrival of new Belgian training aircraft will create additional opportunities to strengthen cooperation with defence in a controlled and safe manner, with an expansion of activities expected from 2027 onwards.

Pilot training school

The defence cooperation is one of several recent positive developments for the airport. Pilot training school Skywings Flight Training recently announced that it is expanding its campus with three additional classrooms to increase theoretical training capacity. 

The new classrooms are located within existing airport buildings and overlook the apron and runway. Skywings CEO Pieter Brantegem said to VRT NWS the company opted to cooperate with the airport rather than build new facilities, making optimal use of existing infrastructure and generating extra revenue for the airport. 

The school trains around 50 new pilots per year in programmes lasting two to three years and has grown strongly in recent years, partly due to its partnership with Brussels Airlines to train airline pilots.

Brantegem said there remains strong demand for well-trained airline pilots, noting that aviation extends beyond passenger transport and that cargo aviation is booming, partly driven by e-commerce. 

He acknowledged that Skywings had moved touch-and-go training flights to Spain because the airport was nearing its environmental permit limit on training movements, but said the school still believes in the future of Antwerp Airport and continues to provide part of its practical training there. 

He added that although the airport’s future has been debated for decades and the school plans for the possibility of closure in the long term, it still has confidence in the airport’s current role.

Uncertainty persists

At the same time, uncertainty persists around the airport’s long-term prospects. A ruling from the court of appeal on the extension of the runway was pending at the time, with potential implications for airport operations. 

While runway length is not critical for training aircraft, Brantegem warned that restrictions on larger passenger aircraft could affect the airport’s revenues and, indirectly, the training school’s activities. He stressed the importance of maintaining pilot training in Belgium to ensure quality oversight and highlighted support from air traffic controller Skeyes in training complex procedures and instrument flying.

Despite recent gains, including a court ruling in favour of a safety strip, a 15 per cent increase in passenger numbers last year and a return to profitability for the first time since 2019, the airport continues to face challenges. 

Its 2025 gross profit of €492,000 is small compared with cumulative losses of €2.2 million over the previous five years, a leaked savings plan suggests up to 38 jobs could be lost, and airline TUI Fly has halved its destinations from Deurne.

Together, the defence ministry’s renewed commitment and the expansion of pilot training activities underline the airport’s operational and strategic relevance, even as financial pressures, environmental constraints and political debates continue to cast doubt over the long-term future of Antwerp’s city airport.

Antwerp International Airport

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