Confidential Deal Commits Flanders to Subsidise Antwerp and Ostend Airports Until 2039

A document that briefly appeared on the Flemish Parliament’s intranet has revealed a far-reaching settlement between the Flemish Government and French airport operator Egis, owner of Antwerp (ANR) and Ostend-Bruges (OST) airports. Dated 23 July 2026, the agreement ends a long-running legal dispute by cancelling €12.1 million in outstanding payments owed by Egis and, in return, commits Flanders to continue paying operating subsidies and to finance major capital works—most notably a full apron renewal at Antwerp—until at least 26 October 2039. The settlement follows months of tense negotiations triggered when Egis claimed it had been under-subsidised by €14.83 million under the 2019 concession contract. By agreeing to waive its claim, Egis secures predictable government support for the next 13 years, while Flanders avoids a costly court battle and the risk of the regional airports’ closure. Flemish mobility minister Annick De Ridder defended the arrangement, arguing that Antwerp Airport is “strategically important” to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges logistics cluster and to regional business aviation. For corporate mobility managers, the deal removes uncertainty about the future of point-to-point regional air links that many multinationals use for time-critical travel and cargo charter operations. Antwerp handles the highest share of business-aviation movements in Belgium, while Ostend is a key freight gateway for the life-sciences supply chain. Guaranteed subsidies should keep fees stable and allow Egis to proceed with long-planned infrastructure upgrades, including ICAO-compliant security screening lanes and expanded apron capacity for narrow-body jets. Yet the political optics are sensitive. The Flemish Government had previously promised to phase out subsidies to regional airports, and opposition parties accuse it of signing a "blank cheque" that contradicts its sustainability objectives. Environmental NGOs are likely to challenge the agreement in court, arguing that continued public funding of under-utilised airports violates EU state-aid rules. If litigation ensues, companies depending on ANR or OST should monitor the situation closely and develop contingency plans—especially for the busy summer 2027 travel season. In practical terms, travellers can expect operations at both airports to continue undisrupted. Egis has pledged to settle two overdue 2025 invoices by 1 January 2028 and to pay all future invoices on schedule, removing the immediate cash-flow risk that had threatened daily operations. Airlines serving the airports—TUI Fly, Luxair and several executive-jet operators—have already started marketing their winter 2026/27 schedules on the assumption that the subsidies will flow.