Brussels Airport has announced three new direct routes for the winter 2024/2025 season, bringing the total number of places it flies to non-stop up to 142 destinations.
The new direct flights about to come online this winter, according to an airport press release, are: the Thai capital Bangkok; the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao, and the northern Norwegian city of Tromsø.
Northern lights, snorkelling, tuk tuks and massage
The first to become available will be Tromsø. Scandinavia’s second-largest airline, budget carrier Norwegian, will start flying visitors from the European capital to the land of the polar night and midnight sun twice a week from 31 October 2024. The largest Arctic city outside of Russia, Tromsø is also home to the world’s most northerly brewery and university and a mecca for Northern Lights enthusiasts.
Curaçao, will be available from 5 November 2024, with flights operated twice a week by TUI fly. Benefitting from an unusually dry wet season, an enviable climate and normally hurricane-free, Curaçao boasts over 700 historic sites, UNESCO-recognised heritage and superlative snorkelling. It drew over 1.3 million visitors in 2023, beating 2019’s pre-Covid record.
And finally, Bangkok. Thai Airways International will flyers from Brussels daily routes to Asia’s so-called city of angels, starting from 1 December.
Snowsports and winter sun
In addition to the three new destinations, Brussels Airport’s winter schedule will, as usual, offer a range of snowsport getaways, to places such as Innsbruck, Salzburg, Kittilä, and Kuusamo, as well as Christmassy North American destinations like New York and Chicago.
And for flyers who prefer winter sun to donning their skis, the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Gulf States are calling. In all, approximately 1,500 passenger flights per week will depart Brussels each week.
Arrive early and make the most of enhanced airport facilities
The busiest day of the autumn season is slated for Friday, 25 October, when returnees from French-speaking Belgium’s autumn break will cross paths with the Dutch-speaking community whose holiday will be just beginning. “In total, nearly 1.2 million passengers are expected to travel during the two weeks from Friday, 18 October, to Sunday, 3 November,” the airport predicts.
To avoid any stress, official advice urges passengers to arrive on-site plenty of time ahead of their departure, which the airport defines as two hours in advance for Schengen flights and three for non-Schengen destinations. An enhanced offer at the airport now includes a brand new Samsonite luggage shop, two new Estee Lauder outlets, and a kids’ play corner – so there will be plenty to keep you occupied while waiting for your flight.
