Brussels Airport is a very busy place and the ideal spot for pickpockets.
- Always keep an eye on your personal belongings (luggage, mobile phone, keys, wallet, plane tickets, etc.)
- On very busy places (check-in, arrivals hall, etc.), pickpockets often operate with minimum one accomplice.
If someone jostles you, try to identify this person as soon as possible and make sure that none of your belongings is missing (wallet, mobile phone, keys, handbag, etc.)
Brussels Airport has three big paying car parks where you may leave your vehicle when you travel or when you come to pick up or drop someone at the airport. These car parks are ideal action fields for potential thieves.
Three different trends have been noticed:
- The theft of the vehicle (the number of stolen vehicles has nevertheless been decreasing for years)
- The theft of accessories or interesting items inside the vehicle (laptop computers, mobile phones, car kits, GPS, radios, document cases, etc.)
- The theft of the car papers
The close co-operation between the car park manager and the Federal Police lead to a marked fall-off in the number of offences of this kind. However, you also have a part to play!
- Before leaving your vehicle, make sure that it is locked and that no objects are apparent inside. In order to avoid possible damage, unplug or hide any kits or electronic gadgets.
- It is better if you leave the glove compartment open so that the thieves can see there is nothing inside.
- If you leave for a long trip, you should leave a copy of the car papers inside the vehicle or take the originals with you (make then sure not to lose them!)
Do not forget that you are always supposed to present original documents in case of a police control.
If you are nonetheless the victim of a theft and/or other offences (vandalism), go immediately to the welcome desk of the aeronautical police (near the Délifrance) in order to lodge a complaint.
This step is indeed very important in order to co-ordinate our preventive and reactive patrols, in plain clothes or in uniform. Partnership between the police and the citizens is the only way to struggle efficiently against this problem.
You are still allowed to drive with your vehicle in the arrival or departure zones located outside the airport terminal. Nevertheless, you must be aware that you are only allowed to stop for the time necessary to drop or pick up passengers or to load or unload luggage. It is therefore forbidden to leave your vehicle in this zone, even for a short period of time to accompany passengers inside the terminal. This is indeed a "Kiss and ride zone" .
The non-observance of this rule inevitably leads to a fine. So that anyone can have access to the airport, the free flow of the traffic is absolutely necessary, especially during peak periods like holidays. If you wish to accompany passengers inside the terminal, we advise you to leave your vehicle on one of the paying car parks. It will spare you lots of difficulties and expenses.
