Benelux, police cooperation, Safety

Operation Silent Skies: international operation targeting general aviation

08 Sep. 2025

From 4 to 8 September, multiple agencies from eight European countries participated in Operation Silent Skies, an international operation aimed at tackling cross-border organised crime. The main objective was to gain experience in the field of general aviation and to share knowledge in order to improve targeted controls in the future.

Frans Weekers, Secretary-General of the Benelux Union, stated:

“With this international operation Silent Skies, the Benelux once again demonstrates its pioneering role in Europe. Thanks to this Benelux initiative, in collaboration with neighbouring countries, we are now also addressing crime in the aviation sector.”

General aviation includes all aviation activities that do not fall under military, commercial airline or charter flights. This includes (international) private business flights, sport flights, training flights, private helicopter flights, and more. Like other transport sectors, General Aviation can be misused by criminal organisations involved in human trafficking or smuggling, as well as the transport of illegal goods such as drugs, endangered species, antiques, or cash from criminal activities.

In 2024, during its presidency of the Benelux Union, the Belgian Federal Police launched a project focused on General Aviation. In the first phase, a barrier model was developed to identify vulnerabilities in the sector and define countermeasures. In the second phase, this model was tested in practice during Operation Silent Skies.

A Four-Day Operation

The operation was carried out within the framework of Benelux cooperation and coordinated from the headquarters of the Dutch Police Unit Limburg in Maastricht. Eight countries participated: Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Ireland—all neighbouring countries of the Benelux. The action was supported by Europol, Frontex, MAOC (Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre), the World Customs Organization, and observed by representatives of the European Commission. The goal is to evaluate this pioneering work and expand it to other European countries.

Over the course of four days, General Aviation flights were monitored from a specially established coordination centre in Maastricht, where various international partners worked together. The operation focused primarily on air traffic to or between the eight participating countries. Data sources included flight plans, mandatory General Declarations, national databases, open-source information, and more.

Participating countries and organisations

• Belgium: Federal Police, Local Police, Customs, Defence
• Netherlands: Police, Royal Marechaussee, Customs
• Luxembourg: Luxembourg Police, Customs
• France: Gendarmerie des Transports Aériens, Customs
• United Kingdom: General Aviation Multi Agency Hub
• Ireland: An Garda Síochaná, Revenue Customs Services
• Denmark: Customs
• Germany: Bundeskriminalamt
• Europol
• Frontex
• MAOC
• World Customs Organization (WCO)
• European Commission