Secret Airport Deal Exposed After Minister’s Accidental Leak
Flemish Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder (N-VA) accidentally revealed a confidential settlement agreement with the French operator of Flanders’ regional airports, exposing a deal that drops millions in mutual claims and commits the government to subsidies until 2039. The document was inadvertently sent to all members of the Flemish Parliament via the parliamentary intranet on Monday, July 20, sparking a major political controversy over transparency.
Background: A Long-Running Subsidy Dispute
The regional airports of Antwerp-Deurne and Ostend-Bruges, operated by the French company Egis under a concession agreement, have been consistently loss-making and heavily dependent on government subsidies. Legal disputes between Egis and the Flemish government over unpaid subsidies and costs have been ongoing since before 2019. In 2024, a court ruling partially went against Flanders, setting the stage for the settlement.
According to VRT NWS, the Flemish government had publicly announced on July 17 an agreement to reduce airport subsidies by 26.8%, with a new evaluation scheduled for 2031. The leaked settlement, however, tells a different story.
What the Secret Deal Reveals
The confidential “dading” (settlement agreement) resolves years of legal battles by having both parties drop their mutual claims. Egis had claimed €14.83 million in unpaid subsidies from the Flemish government, while the Flemish government claimed €12.1 million from Egis for personnel costs and other services. Under the deal, both sides agreed to drop all claims.
More controversially, the settlement commits the Flemish government to providing subsidies until October 26, 2039 — binding future governments to the arrangement. This directly contradicts the public announcement made just days earlier, which stated that subsidies would be evaluated in 2031.
As HLN reports, the settlement also includes commitments from Egis to pay two overdue invoices from 2025 before January 1, 2028, and to pay all future invoices on time. The Flemish government, meanwhile, pledged to renovate the aircraft parking platform in Deurne and cover further soil remediation costs.
Parliamentary Discovery and Political Fallout
The accidental disclosure came to light during a Finance Committee hearing on July 22. Groen MP Bogdan Vanden Berghe revealed that MPs already had the document, causing visible surprise from Minister De Ridder.
“The airports are getting a very good deal,” Vanden Berghe told VRT NWS. “I cannot imagine the Inspectorate of Finance agrees with this.” On Radio 1’s “De Ochtend,” he added: “The minister always said: ‘I’m not going to pay that, because Europe doesn’t allow it, because it’s potentially illegal state aid.’ Now that’s exactly what happened.”
Criticism came from across the political spectrum. Jos D’Haese (PVDA) said: “I don’t understand why we have to pay with tax money when millionaires want to go on holiday with their private jets.” Egbert Lachaert (Anders) added: “Investing tax money in an operation that has no business plan, that can’t present anything viable, is throwing money down the drain.”
Notably, even coalition partner CD&V joined the criticism. MP Mien Van Olmen stated: “I really don’t understand why we as MPs cannot view the comprehensive, overarching note on this dossier.”
Minister’s Defense
De Ridder has defended the settlement as a necessary legal measure. As Focus-WTV reports, she argues that after losing a court case in 2024, the government faced the risk of further adverse rulings and mounting legal costs. “The risk of further procedures and escalation was very real,” she said. “The conclusion was that it was better to reach a settlement to avoid lengthy legal proceedings and additional legal costs.”
On the accidental leak, her cabinet issued a statement: “Due to an incorrect linking between the note and the appendices, the documents were temporarily accessible to MPs and government members in a closed environment. This unintended accessibility has now been resolved.”
Analysis and Implications
The contradiction between the public announcement (evaluation in 2031) and the secret settlement (subsidies guaranteed until 2039) is the most politically damaging aspect of this affair. It undermines the government’s credibility and suggests the public narrative was misleading.
The question of whether the subsidies constitute illegal state aid under EU rules has also resurfaced. De Ridder had previously argued that certain payments could not be made because they would violate EU state aid regulations — a position now undermined by the settlement.
As Business AM notes, the regional airports have pledged to protect as many jobs as possible despite the subsidy reductions, though the departure of TUI from Antwerp Airport next year casts uncertainty on employment prospects.
What’s Next
The coming days will likely see intensified scrutiny, with opposition parties calling for a review by the Inspectorate of Finance and potential parliamentary investigations. The coalition dynamics between N-VA, Vooruit, and CD&V may face strain, and questions remain about whether the 2039 subsidy commitment can be legally challenged or reversed by future governments.
For now, the accidental leak has done what parliamentary oversight could not: reveal the full extent of a deal that binds Flemish taxpayers for more than a decade to come.