"Everything must be done to ensure" the future of Brussels Airport, the employers' organisations for Brussels and Flanders (Beci and Voka respectively) said on Wednesday.
Both federations are worried about the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the national airport, which is "vital for the ambitions to create a European logistics hub, an exporting nation, an international hub for investors and a European decision-making centre," they said.
"Without the international connectivity of the airport, Brussels cannot claim the status of Europe's diplomatic capital and leading congress centre," said Beci's Jan De Brabanter.
"Brussels Airport provides international connectivity for all our industry and services," Voka Director General Hans Maertens added.
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Both employers' organisations are counting on politicians to take responsibility for ensuring the future of the airport.
"The crucial players at our airport must receive the necessary financial support if we are to avoid the permanent loss of important international connections," they said.
"As long as the aviation industry is operating in crisis mode, the companies that depend on it must be able to benefit from support measures such as temporary unemployment," they concluded.
The Brussels Times