Air Malta’s Brussels flight diversions further extended to Monday

Air Malta flights to Brussels will continue to be diverted to Dusseldorf, until Monday as plans to partially reopen the Belgian airport have been halted.

The national airline has organised a bus service between Brussels and Dusseldorf’s airport. Upon arrival in Dusseldorf, coaches will transport passengers to Rue Archimede, 25, B-1000, Brussels next to the Maltese embassy.

The flights will operate as follows:

The Zaventem airport was originally set to partially reopen on Friday evening, but plans were postponed due to a strike by airport police over security concerns.

The SLFP police union said that they had not been given sufficient safety guarantees by the airport company.

“We are on strike because of what happened on 22 March – we cannot continue as if this day has not happened,” SLFP president Vincent Gilles told the BBC. “The police feel that the security measures put in place by the airport company are insufficient for those who work and use the airport.”

He said that metal detectors, x-ray machines and body scanners should be set up to screen people before they are allowed to enter the terminal. However, authorities have argued that such an extra layer of checks would create new queues outside the airport, posing fresh security risks.   

The airport has been closed since a twin suicide bomb attack on the departures hall on 22 March that the Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for.