Brussels Airport has officially begun its busy high season, with over five million passengers expected to travel through the hub this summer. That’s a six percent rise on numbers in the same period in 2023.
To help smooth operations and improve traffic flow over the period, the airport has announced in a statement a series of measures “to ensure all passengers can enjoy a comfortable travel experience.”
Over the first weekend of the holiday, starting 28 June 2024 for Dutch-speaking schools, around 237,000 passengers were expected to use the airport. Numbers are not yet confirmed at the time of writing. A further influx of 79,000 passengers is anticipated a week later on 5 July, when French-speaking schools will break up for vacations.
To ensure its network of over 200 direct destinations, including summer favourites the Canary Islands, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and Türkiye, runs without a hitch, the Belgian capital’s airport has grown its connections, implemented new smartphone technology, and laid out for additional personnel and physical infrastructure.
New airlines with routes launching this summer from Brussels include Amélia (Brive), Juneyao Airlines (Shanghai), Singapore Airlines (Singapore), Wideroe (Bergen) and Wizz Air (Budapest). Newly added destinations for Brussels Airlines include Bari (Transavia), Gazipasa (Corendon), Krakow and Nairobi.
Meanwhile, the new Brussels Airport App is intended to allow users to keep track of flight details, including luggage guidance and check-in desks, and to access real time flight info, or see commercial deals and retailers in the airport.
On arrival at the airport, flyers will find not only additional staff on hand to help, but new e-gates – three at arrivals, six e-gates for gates T as well as six transfer e-gates at transfer. Staffed by Federal Police, the extra e-gates will increase capacity and flow for anyone over 12 years old and holding a valid European, British, American or Canadian passport.
Those passing through the airport can also pause to enjoy the sunshine vibe and seasonal glow up throughout the facilities, with pop-up cafés, kids’ play areas, and of course, places set aside to witness the summer’s big sporting events – the European Football Championships, as well as the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Last but not least, Tomorrowland Festival is partnering the airport’s festivities, with a suite of DJ sets on 22 and 29 July 2024.
