Is Antwerp Airport losing its lifeline as TUI plans to stop flying from spring 2027?
TUI fly, Belgium's largest holiday airline, intends to end scheduled leisure flights from Antwerp Airport in Deurne, with its last departure reported for March 2027.
In 30 seconds
- VRT NWS and HLN report that TUI fly intends to stop scheduled flights from Antwerp Airport.
- The last TUI flight from Antwerp is reported to be in March 2027, with the halt taking effect from spring 2027.
- Antwerp Airport is located in Deurne and operated under a concession from the Flemish government, which owns the site.
- TUI fly is Belgium's largest holiday carrier and has been the airport's principal passenger operator.
TUI fly Belgium is the leisure airline of the German-owned TUI Group and the principal passenger carrier at Antwerp International Airport (Antwerp/Deurne, EBAW), a small regional airport in the Deurne district of Antwerp that sits on Flemish public land and is operated under a concession granted by the Flemish government. According to VRT NWS and HLN, TUI plans to end scheduled flights from Antwerp, with a final departure reported for March 2027 and the stop taking effect from spring 2027. Because the airport depends heavily on this single leisure operator, the decision puts the site's passenger future — and the Flemish government's aviation policy choices — directly in question.
Background
Antwerp Airport in Deurne is one of Belgium's cluster of secondary airports alongside Ostend-Bruges and Brussels South Charleroi. Constrained by a short runway and a dense urban setting, it has long relied on leisure operators and Flemish support, and has been a recurring flashpoint between economic boosters and residents concerned about noise and safety — a tension now reignited by TUI's reported exit.
What to do
Antwerp-area travellers may need to rebook via Brussels, Charleroi or Ostend for summer 2027 onward; anyone holding future TUI bookings from Antwerp should watch for rebooking or rerouting notices.
Impact
Regional — Antwerp and the surrounding Flemish region would feel this most directly: loss of a nearby leisure gateway, pressure on airport employment, and a renewed political debate over whether public money should keep a single-carrier regional airport viable. Residents under the flight path may welcome reduced noise, sharpening a long-standing local divide.
EvidenceDeveloping · 1 primary source + 1 independent reporting source · some details remain unconfirmedExplore evidence →Hide evidence ↑
- Publication date unavailable
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 5 Aug 2026
- Publication date unavailable
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 5 Aug 2026
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This story was assembled from verified evidence, with its sources and reasoning recorded as it was written.