A new millennium, new opportunities?

The new millennium started well, but in 2001 Sabena went bankrupt. The Stampe en Vertongen museum opened its doors. In 2002 the RAAC celebrated its 75th anniversary with an airshow. The airport building is being expanded further. In 2013, Minister Hilde Crevits finally broke ground for the long-awaited tunnel. In 2022, Flanders at last decided that the airport can stay.

At the start of the 21st century, the airport passed the 250,000 passenger mark for the first time. The Stampe en Vertongen Museum opened its doors on May 26, 2001 on the occasion of the 10th Stampe Fly In. An aviation malaise causes KLM to stop the service to Amsterdam. In May 2002, the RAAC celebrates its 75th anniversary with the Devil's Day II meeting and a week later Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde visit Jeugd en Luchtvaart for the 25th edition of the “day for young people with disabilities”. The airport building will be expanded considerably and the new departure/arrival hall will open in 2006. Flying Group and ASL are investing in the construction of new facilities. In 2009, a tender for the exploitation of the airport will be issued. In 2013, Minister Hilde Crevits broke ground for the long-awaited tunnel on the Krijgsbaan.

Her successor Ben Weyts will officially open it in December 2015. The French company Egis will be the new operator in 2014 for 25 years. The new operation has already led to a new dynamic. From 2015, the Belgian airline TUI Fly will bring new routes to the airport and the number of passengers is expected to double. Downer on the success is the soap opera around VLM, which changed hands several times, before going bankrupt in 2016.

Due to the attacks in Zaventem in 2016, Brussels Airlines flights were diverted to Antwerp: a bustle of activity. Despite the protest of some local residents, the airport is alive. In 2022, during a 6-week closure, the entire runway was renewed and it was decided that the airport can stay, at least until 2040....