Brussels Airport welcomes 2.5 million passengers in August and 5 million this summer, an increase of 3% - Cargo volumes grow by almost 3% to 58,000 tonnes

In August, the second month of the summer holiday, Brussels Airport welcomed 2.5 million passengers, an increase of 3% compared to August 2024. Because of the end of the school holidays, the number of arriving passengers was very high. The busy summer period went well at Brussels Airport thanks to the great collaboration between all partners. Freight volumes grew by almost 3% to a total of 58,000 tonnes. 

During the summer holidays, Brussels Airport welcomed a total of 5 million passengers. That is 3% more than during last year's summer holidays. With a strong network of 180 destinations, including new destinations such as Atlanta and Hong Kong in addition to the classic sun destinations, there was something in the offer for everyone.  

“It was a busy summer at Brussels Airport with 5 million passengers. Thanks to good preparation and collaboration with our partners, the summer went very well. With additional check-in options, by doubling the self-bag drop capacity and using mobile check-in desks, and the deployment of extra staff by all partners, holidaymakers were able to enjoy a smooth service at the airport. In addition, the work on runway 25L/7R was completed on time and without any impact on our passengers," says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.  

Passenger numbers: +3% compared to 2024 

In August, Brussels Airport welcomed 2,488,804 passengers, an increase of 3% compared with the same month in 2024. The number of arriving passengers is 200,000 more than the number of departing passengers due to the end of the school holidays. 

Transfer passengers accounted for 15% of the total, a lower share than last year due to the strong growth of the number of local passengers. 

The 10 most important countries in the past month were, in order: Spain, Italy, Greece, Türkiye, Morocco, Portugal, Germany, France, the United States and the United Kingdom. 

Total cargo volumes: +3% compared to 2024   

Total cargo volumes through Brussels Airport reached 57,994 tonnes in August, marking a 3% year-on-year increase. The volume of flown cargo increased by 13% to 53,606 tonnes. 

The full-freighter segment dropped by 5%, while belly cargo remained stable compared with last year.  Meanwhile, integrator services recorded a sharp rise of 38%, while trucked cargo volumes dropped with 51,5%.    

The main import regions were Asia, Africa, and North America. We also see the same top three in the main export regions: Asia, followed by Africa and North America. 

Flight movements: +2% compared to August 2024 

The number of flight movements in August rose by 2% compared to the same period last year. The number of passenger flights increased by 2%, while there were 1% less cargo flights. 

There were 152 passengers per flight on average, which is one more than in August 2024.