Why is TUI abandoning Antwerp airport, and what does its March 2027 exit mean for Deurne?
TUI fly will stop flying from Antwerp International Airport in Deurne, with a final departure scheduled for March 2027 — removing what Flemish media call the last big commercial operator from one of Belgium's most contested runways.
In 30 seconds
- TUI fly will end operations at Antwerp International Airport, with its final flight scheduled for March 2027, per De Standaard and Het Laatste Nieuws.
- The airline's departure removes what Flemish media describe as the last major commercial operator at the Deurne airport.
- Antwerp airport has long been contested over noise, its dense urban location and the economics of remaining commercially viable.
- Onward leisure travellers from the Antwerp region will most likely fly from Brussels Airport or Brussels South Charleroi instead.
TUI fly is the leisure airline within TUI Group, Europe's largest tourism company, and operates package-holiday and charter flights from several Belgian airports. Antwerp International Airport (Deurne, ICAO code EBAW) is a small city airport in the Antwerp district of Deurne, long contested over noise, its urban location and the economics of keeping a commercial runway viable. Per De Standaard and Het Laatste Nieuws, TUI fly's withdrawal — with a final flight scheduled for March 2027 — removes the airport's last major commercial operator.
Background
Antwerp airport has been a political flashpoint in Flanders for years, caught between an economic-connectivity argument and persistent complaints over noise, safety and the use of public money to keep a small urban runway commercially viable. Its trajectory mirrors a Europe-wide squeeze on secondary and city airports as low-cost and leisure carriers consolidate their fleets on a smaller number of profitable bases, leaving thin regional stations exposed whenever a network is rationalised.
What to do
From spring 2027, travellers booking TUI from the Antwerp area should expect to depart from Brussels Airport or Brussels South Charleroi, factoring in extra travel time, parking and transfer costs compared with the current fifteen-minute access to Deurne.
Impact
Regional — Antwerp International Airport in Deurne loses its anchor leisure carrier, weakening the commercial case for the site and intensifying the standing dispute between local business interests, who value the connectivity, and residents living under the flight path, who have long questioned the airport's future. Onward leisure traffic is likely to shift to Brussels Airport (Zaventem) and Brussels South Charleroi.
EvidenceDeveloping · 1 primary source + 1 independent reporting source · some details remain unconfirmedExplore evidence →Hide evidence ↑
- Publication date unavailable
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 8 Aug 2026
- Publication date unavailable
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 8 Aug 2026
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This story was assembled from verified evidence, with its sources and reasoning recorded as it was written.