Brussels Airport, 30 March 2010 - Brussels Airport today opened a brand-new check-in area that is entirely tailored to the needs of the holiday traveller. Special attention was given to the needs of families with children and elderly passengers.

The entirely renovated check-in area is located in the oldest part of the terminal: the departure hall that was put into service in 1958. With its high white ceilings, its grey white granite floor and its snow-white check-in desks the area is irrecognisable even to frequent flyers. Today two check-in rows with 12 desks each (rows 11 and 12) opened; by the summer holidays an extra row will open and there's enough room to build a fourth row in the future.

During the busy morning hours, departing passengers will find a remarkably quiet place to check in from comfortably. They can pick up their travel documents from the spacious desks of Thomas Cook, Jetairfly, Corendon and other tour operatros, and check in at one of the flexible check-in desks right next to them. 

The holiday offer from Brussels Airport is many times that of all other Belgian airports put together. Last year 25,000 flights operated by 17 different leisure airlines took their passenger to 80 different holiday destinations in 24 countries. The leading Belgian tour operators Thomas Cook Airlines and Jetairfly top all the others with 7 and 10 Brussels Airport-based aircraft respectively. Corendon Airlines, Tailwind and TNT Airways too have planes that operate holiday flights to and from Brussels Airport on a full-time basis.
In terms of accessibility the new check-in environment removes all barriers. Right next to the building there is a dedicated passenger drop-off area for the shuttles operated by the travel agents and tour operators. As to the accessibility of the car parks and the walking distance from the new check-in area Brussels Airport can easily compete with other large airport in Europe as well as with the smaller regional airports. Just opposite the terminal at only a few steps from the new check-in area Front Park 3 provides thousands of parking spaces with interesting holiday parking deals: 49 euro for the weekend formula from Friday evening until Monday evening; 79 euros for a 10-day parking deal and 94 euros for a 14-day parking deal. The number of parking spaces available opposite the terminal totals to nearly 11,000.

Although the new check-in area will be used intensively for holiday flights, scheduled flights will also be checked in there especially after the early morning rush. "The quality of the facilities provided matches that of the check-in infrastructure of the larger check-in hall next to it", emphasises Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport.

"By re-using the existing departures hall we were able to realise this project for an exceptionnal price/quality ration per square meter. This renovated hall will be more than ever the top location for holiday passengers from Belgium, the North of France and a large part of the Netherlands who are increasingly aware of the alternatives and have found the way to Brussels Airport", he concludes.