Friday, 1 July marked the start of the summer holidays and was also the first day since the start of the Covid-19 crisis that the total daily passenger number at Brussels Airport exceeded 70,000 passengers. Some 39,000 outbound passengers were expected that day, in addition to 33,000 inbound passengers. As many as 4 million passengers are expected over the two summer holiday months. That represents 74% of the 5.4 million passengers in the summer of 2019.
After two summers marked by numerous travel restrictions, many people are clearly in need of a well-deserved holiday!
Brussels Airport
The airport announced that, together with all of its partners, it has made preparations for the rising passenger numbers this summer holiday season. Aviato, the airport’s employment centre, has organised recruitment campaigns and Jobcafés together with other airport companies, leading to a drop in the number of open vacancies to 590. Hundreds of positions have been filled over the past two months, but new job openings have also been added. The number of vacancies is again heading towards the 500 vacancies average from before the Covid-19 crisis.
In addition, the BRUce chatbot on the Brussels Airport website has now been completely updated and also equipped with additional information to provide the best possible support to passengers. The chatbot, which can be found at the bottom right of homepage, can supply passengers with all the information and updates about their flight by simply entering their flight number. The passenger then receives messages via Whatsapp or Facebook Messenger with, among other things, the check-in opening times and, since recently, the actual waiting times at the security screening.
The airport has also redecorated to a “lively holiday vibes” theme. In front of the departure hall there is the globe of the Tomorrowland festival, which is expecting many international festivalgoers to travel through Brussels Airport this summer, and there’s also a summer terrace.
Inside the airport, Hall 2 and Pier A “a chill zone” has been arranged, with beach chairs and palm trees, to put passengers in the holiday mood.
Several summer selfie decors have also been placed around the airport for a fun photo before departure. Anyone sharing a photo with one of these summer decorations on social media with the hashtag #brusselsairport will also have a chance of winning a travel voucher.
What about aviation chaos?
After having to cancel the majority of the flights during a 3-day strike action, the management of Brussels Airlines announced yesterday the further cancellation of 675 flights during the months of July and August.
This is the equivalent of 6% of the total number of flights scheduled for the following months and the measure was taken to meet pilots and cabin crew demands for the airline to reduce their workload.
148 summer flights had already been cancelled, but, according to the unions, that is not enough. Now, the airline is taking further action, cancelling over 500 more flights in the following months, bringing the total to 675. Overall, 372 flights have been cancelled for the month of July and 303 for the month of August.
