Supporters argue that the regional airport is a vital gateway for the West Flemish economy, as it allows captains of industry to travel quickly to their customers, branches or suppliers across the rest of Europe. Opponents, on the other hand, point out that the airport serves very few passengers, yet costs the Flemish taxpayer a great deal.
To reduce these public costs, the Flemish government has been searching for a private operator for the airport for almost twenty years. This private partner is expected to operate the airport “in its own name and at its own expense”, so that the Flemish Region has to contribute less. But despite two tender rounds, in 2008 and 2021, no one has yet been found willing to step into this role.
Our research shows that, in the meantime, part of Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport is already being operated privately. Since the 1990s, the company Flanders International Airport (FIA) has been responsible for a profitable part of the airport’s commercial operations, generating substantial profits in the process. These profits largely flow out of the airport: between 2022 and 2024, FIA paid out more than €2 million in dividends to its shareholders, two West Flemish multimillionaires.
At the same time, the Flemish Region, in addition to making substantial investments in infrastructure, pumps more than €2 million in subsidies into the airport every year.
