Flemish Minister Under Fire Over Secret Airport Deal

Flemish Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder (N-VA) is facing mounting political pressure after a confidential agreement she negotiated with the operator of Flanders’ regional airports was accidentally leaked to parliamentarians, exposing a direct contradiction between the government’s stated subsidy policy and its actual commitments. The incident has prompted a scathing critical profile in La Libre Belgique, which describes the minister as “as stubborn as she is clumsy.”

The controversy erupted on July 23 when De Standaard revealed that De Ridder’s cabinet had accidentally sent the contents of a secret agreement to all members of the Mobility committee of the Flemish Parliament via the institution’s intranet. The document, which was subject to confidentiality clauses, detailed a multi-million-euro settlement between the Flemish government and Egis, the French operator of the Deurne (Antwerp) and Ostend regional airports.

A Secret Deal Contradicting Stated Policy

The agreement resolved a long-standing financial dispute between the two parties. Egis claimed €14.83 million from the Flemish government for promised but unpaid subsidies, while the government demanded payment of a €12.1 million invoice for Flemish civil servants seconded to the airports. Under the terms of the settlement, both parties agreed to renounce their claims against each other, as VRT NWS reported.

More significantly, the Flemish government committed to continuing subsidies to Egis until October 26, 2039, to keep the airports operational. In exchange, the operator pledged to honor two unpaid invoices from 2025 before January 1, 2028, and to pay all invoices on time in 2026. The executive also promised to renovate the aircraft parking platform at Deurne and cover costs related to soil decontamination, according to La Libre Belgique.

The deal directly contradicts the Flemish coalition agreement, which stated that regional airports should increasingly rely on their own resources and that subsidies should be reduced. The Flemish finance inspectorate gave an unfavorable opinion on the agreement, calling it “unbalanced” and potentially constituting illegal state aid, as RTL Info noted.

TUI’s Departure Deepens the Crisis

The timing could hardly be worse for the minister. On July 12, TUI fly Belgium announced it would end operations at Antwerp-Deurne airport after the 2026/2027 winter season, with the last flight scheduled for March 25, 2027, to Malaga. The airline’s departure could cost the airport up to 90% of its passengers and nearly half of its own revenue, according to Air Journal.

Nathan De Valck, CEO of Antwerp airport, expressed regret at the decision but said the priority was now to maintain uninterrupted services to TUI fly and its passengers in the coming months.

Political Fallout and Institutional Criticism

The scandal has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties and the Flemish press alike. De Morgen editorialist Ann De Boeck described Deurne airport as “moribund” and criticized De Ridder’s “absolute faith in the primacy of politics,” as highlighted in a RTBF review of the press. The editorial noted that the minister ignored the Finance Inspectorate’s warnings, raising serious questions about institutional checks and balances.

Under pressure from opposition groups, the Mobility and Public Works committee of the Flemish Parliament will hold a special session on September 10 for De Ridder to explain the agreement, as Business AM reported. Critics have also questioned why the session was postponed until after the summer break.

A Minister Defending Her Record

De Ridder has defended the agreement, arguing that the airport remains “crucial for Antwerp and its port.” She rejected accusations of distributing “blank checks,” insisting that the deal strengthens collaboration between the four Flemish airports. When the Flemish executive closed its last council of ministers before the summer break on July 18, Minister-President Matthias Diependaele announced the agreement as part of a broader push for a “sustainable future” for regional airports, with De Ridder emphasizing that “the airports can now focus again on the essentials: sustainable and future-oriented growth,” as DH/Belga reported.

What’s Next

The September 10 parliamentary session will be a critical test for De Ridder and the Diependaele government. Opposition parties are demanding transparency about why the Finance Inspectorate’s warnings were ignored, and questions remain about whether the agreement constitutes illegal state aid under EU rules. The departure of TUI fly from Deurne further complicates the airport’s economic viability, raising doubts about whether the promised subsidies through 2039 represent sound public investment.

For a minister who has been in office since September 2024, this controversy represents a significant challenge to her credibility. As La Libre Belgique’s profile suggests, the question now is whether De Ridder’s stubbornness in defending her decisions will prove to be a political asset or her undoing.