32,000 lost items at Brussels Airport in 2025

23% returned to their owners, uncollected items donated to charities 

In 2025, Brussels Airport welcomed 24.4 million passengers, an increase of around 3% compared to the previous year. With tens of thousands of travellers passing through the terminal each day, it’s easy for personal items to get lost. Last year, the Lost & Found service registered 31,861 lost or abandoned items at the airport. Nearly a quarter (23%) were successfully returned to their rightful owners. Items that remain unclaimed after six months are donated to charitable organisations. 

Every day, Brussels Airport sees an average of 67,000 passengers travelling with baggage and personal belongings. And occasionally, something gets left behind: from clothing to electronic devices (mobile phones, laptops, tablets…) or even musical instruments. Sometimes more unexpected items surface, including a set of dentures, showing that travellers can truly forget anything. 

Checked baggage that goes missing is handled by the airlines, but for all other lost items, passengers can contact the Lost & Found service. Every item is registered, after which the team attempts to identify the owner and return it. 

Two-thirds of all lost items are found at security screening 

Although items are retrieved throughout the airport, around two‑thirds of all lost items are left behind at the security checkpoints. This is why Brussels Airport continues to focus on raising awareness in that area, encouraging travellers to thoroughly check their trays before moving on with their journey. 

In 2025, a total of 31,861 items were registered. Most were clothing, identity documents, and jewellery. Nearly a quarter (23%) were returned to their owners, especially laptops, identity documents, and unchecked bags, which are often easier to identify. The average retrieval time is three days, and in some cases, travellers get their items back the very same day if they act quickly. 

Brussels Airport encourages passengers to always report missing belongings via the airport’s website. Retrieved items are kept for up to six months. Official documents such as identity cards and passports are transferred to the federal police after one month and can no longer be reclaimed. Once the owner is identified, they can either collect the item or have it shipped to them. 

Unclaimed items given a second life through charities 

Sustainability is a core strategic focus for Brussels Airport. Many items left at Lost & Found for more than six months are given a second life. The airport collaborates with the General Welfare Centre (CAW) to donate recovered clothing to people experiencing homelessness. 

Electronic devices that remain unclaimed are donated to Close The Gap, a non-profit organisation that distributes used electronics to social, medical, and educational initiatives. In 2025, Brussels Airport donated 265 mobile phones, 243 tablets, and 156 laptops. 

Opened food products are recycled for hygiene reasons. Large unopened packages and liquids that cannot pass through security, such as shampoo, deodorant, or bottles, are donated to local public centres for social welfare (CPAS/OCMWs). In 2025, this amounted to an impressive 16,440 kg of products. 

Other items, such as belts or glasses, are sorted and sold through an auction house. In 2025, wheelchairs, power banks, chargers, crutches, and flashlights were among the items donated to an organisation in Steenokkerzeel that provides support to Ukraine. 

With nearly 32,000 lost items in 2025, Lost & Found service remains an essential part of the passenger experience, helping countless travellers every day to recover their belongings.