Perimeter of Brussels Airport ‘too big to patrol properly’

The security perimeter around Brussels Airport is so large that the strict security measures currently in force cannot be maintained for much longer, according to federal home affairs minister Jan Jambon.

Following the terrorist attacks at the airport last month, all arriving vehicles must pass through a security check involving cameras with automatic number plate recognition. Passengers must also show identification and their ticket before being able to enter the temporary departures hall. There, baggage is checked, and then passengers go through the normal security procedures that follow check-in.

According to Jambon, speaking on VTM News, those measures have to be limited, while maintaining a balance between security and the needs of travellers. Ideally, security could be rolled back by June, when the restored departures hall is due to open. He did stress, however, that “safety is paramount”.

“The last think we want is a society where anyone who comes in is checked 87 times,” he said. “That’s not the sort of society I want to live in. So we have to find the right balance between realistic security and a police state.”

Police unions, meanwhile, are less keen on cutting back on checks. “We’re of the opinion that the safety of staff and passengers has to be guaranteed,” said ACV union representative Jan Adam. “The checks could perhaps be scaled down at the level of arriving at the airport, but we still think that the screening of baggage and passengers should be carried out in an effective manner.”

The two sides are due to meet for discussions later this week. Meanwhile, airport staff will be able to visit the partially restored departures hall this week. Victims of the bomb attack and their relatives will also be invited, but no date has been set, a spokesperson for Brussels Airport said.

Photo: Thierry Roge/BELGA