Antwerp Airport at a crossroads: what does the future hold after TUI’s departure and the subsidy debate?
Antwerp Airport faces an uncertain future as TUI leaves and subsidies come under scrutiny. What role can a regional airport play in the years ahead?
by Wouter Dewulf
| August 14, 2026
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Anyone who has opened a newspaper or followed the news recently will have noticed that the future of Antwerp Airport is once again high on the agenda. The departure of holiday airline TUI fly, discussions about government support and concerned employees wondering what comes next have put the airport firmly in the spotlight. It raises a familiar question for many people and organisations in Antwerp: should we pull the plug, or are we overlooking the real value of our regional airport?
The debate quickly becomes polarised. Opponents see an endless drain on taxpayers’ money, while supporters point to accessibility and employment. But is the choice really as binary as ‘closing down’ versus ‘simply carrying on as before’?
According to Wouter Dewulf, Academic Director of the Master in Maritime & Air Transport Management and the new Dean of AMS as of September, the key to a solution lies not in polarisation, but in smart reinvention of the airport.
Accounting profit or genuine efficiency?
Last year, the Flemish regional airports, Antwerp, Ostend-Bruges and Kortrijk-Wevelgem, reported a modest accounting profit for the first time. A positive signal, certainly, but these figures paint a distorted picture. They still include substantial government subsidies as revenue. Without public support, none of the Flemish regional airports is currently financially self-sustaining.
With TUI fly’s departure, the vast majority of passenger flights from Antwerp will disappear. According to Dewulf, desperately trying to bring holiday flights back to Antwerp at any cost is not the most logical way forward.
What we need is not a debate about ‘closing or subsidising’, but about social and economic value. Which activities genuinely create value for the region, and who should pay for them?
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Prof. Dr. Wouter Dewulf
So which direction offers a future?
Dewulf sees the answer in developing a clear niche profile. This means focusing on specific segments where the airport can genuinely add value. These could include business and urgent medical flights, pilot training, or a role as a testing and innovation hub for greener and electric aviation.
But this can only work if users contribute their fair share. Today, fees for private and business aviation are too low, meaning taxpayers ultimately pick up the remainder of the bill.
Learning from our neighbours: networks and synergies
Dewulf also draws a comparison with Wallonia, where clear specialisation was chosen following the regionalisation of airports in 1989: Charleroi developed into a low-cost hub, while Liège became a European cargo hub. Together, these ecosystems generate around 10,000 direct and indirect jobs.
According to Dewulf, Flanders lacks this kind of overarching network approach. He advocates for stronger collaboration between the regional airports and Brussels Airport. By joining forces in areas such as procurement, security, maintenance and innovation, the airports could create greater financial and operational breathing space.
What can organisations learn from the Antwerp Airport case?
The debate surrounding Antwerp Airport shows that its future does not have to be reduced to an emotional battle between ‘closing everything down’ and ‘carrying on as before’. Wouter Dewulf’s analysis makes clear that future-proofing requires sharp, focused choices.
Antwerp Airport does not necessarily have to become bigger again to remain valuable. By developing a clear niche profile, introducing fair pricing and strengthening collaboration across the region, the airport can build a realistic and future-proof model.
