Belgian newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen wrote this Saturday that between 2010 and 2014 Deurne Airport, near Antwerp, has not been tested once by the Civil Aviation Authority, as an inspection team from the European Commission discovered. According to the commander of the airport, that does not mean in any case that Antwerp Airport is not a safe place.
Commission inspectors conducted a survey last year on the safety of Belgian airports. The leak of their report in the press has also led to the resignation of the Minister for Mobility Jacqueline Galant (MR) Friday. The document describes in particular the complete lack of tests or controls in Deurne. The conclusion is scathing: “Not compliant with EU rules and with serious shortcomings.”
The commander of the place however mitigates the assessment. “This report mentions the checks by the Directorate General, but it says nothing about the safety itself in the airport. Europe also never asked us to take specific measures. In addition, it refers to security procedures in closed areas of the airport and not in places accessible to the public, “said Wim Verbist.
