During the first half of 2026, Brussels Airport continued to show growth in both passenger traffic and cargo volumes. Growth was supported by the continued expansion of our route network, with eight new destinations launched, as well as by the ongoing development of our cargo network.
Passenger numbers up 3.6% in the first half of the year
Despite a difficult context, Brussels Airport recorded solid results in the first half of 2026, These results were achieved in a particularly challenging environment. On the one hand, the conflict in the Middle East led to the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv, as well as a reduction in flights to the Gulf region. The conflict also affected belly cargo activities.
In addition, Brussels Airport was impacted by two national days of industrial action in March and May, which together affected around 55,000 passengers. The wildcat strike at air navigation service provider skeyes on 2 June also led to the cancellation of all scheduled flights that day, impacting a further 25,000 passengers.
Despite these setbacks, Brussels Airport welcomed 11,684,976 passengers, an increase of 3.6% compared to the first half of 2025.
Cargo volumes continue to grow, up 8.3%
During the first half of 2026, Brussels Airport handled nearly 420,000 tonnes of cargo, an increase of 8.3% compared to the same period in 2025. This performance confirms Brussels Airport’s position as one of Europe’s leading cargo gateways.
The growth in cargo volumes was supported by the continued expansion of the cargo network, as well as by increased frequencies and higher volumes on existing routes.
June 2026: More than 2.2 million passengers (+1.7%)
In June, Brussels Airport welcomed 2,215,965 passengers, an increase of 1.7% compared to the same month last year. This growth was supported in particular by the resumption of flights to Doha from 15 June and the return to normal frequencies to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. June was also marked by the launch of new routes to São Paulo, Kilimanjaro and Halifax, additional flights to Kayseri in Turkey operated by TUI fly and increased frequencies to Montreal with Air Transat.
June 2026: air cargo volumes continue to grow (+12.2%)
Total cargo volumes through Brussels Airport reached 70,895 tonnes in June, representing an increase of 12.2% on the same period last year. Flown cargo grew by 8%, driven in particular by continued growth in the full freighter segment (+16.5%), while trucked cargo volumes increased by 42.4%. After a slight decrease in May, belly cargo rose by 12.2%. Only the integrator segment recorded a slight decrease of 0.5%.
The main import regions remain Asia and North America, with North America recording the strongest growth. Africa saw a slight decline in imports. These three regions also remain the main export markets, with North America showing modest growth.
June 2026: Slight decrease in commercial flight movements (-0.1%)
Brussels Airport recorded a 0.1% decrease in the number of commercial flight movements compared to June 2025. While passenger flights increased by 1.9%, cargo flights declined by 4.9%. Passenger load factors remained stable, with an average of 146 passengers per flight.
