During the first quarter of 2017, 1,523,649 passengers travelled through Brussels South Charleroi Airport, i.e. a decrease of 1% compared with the figures for 2016. While January 2017 ended with a 7% increase in numbers, February and March saw a drop in passenger traffic. Overall, the average load factor for aircraft using Brussels South Charleroi remained constant at around 85%.
January 2017 saw a 7% increase compared with the same period in 2016. 497,267 passengers passed through BSCA in the first month of the year, following a record year in 2016 when passenger numbers totalled 7,303,720. An additional 34.329 passengers, therefore, chose Brussels South Charleroi Airport, compared with 2016.
February 2017, however, saw a drop of 1%. 484,757 passengers travelled to/from Brussels South Charleroi, compared with 489,481 in 2016. But, despite a decrease in the number of passengers arriving (-3%), there was a noticeable increase of 1% in departure numbers. In fact, in 2016 the half term break was in early February (from Monday 8 to Friday 12 February 2016), whereas in 2017 it straddled February and March, hence the higher number of departures and drop in the number of
return journeys.
Finally, March 2016 left its mark on the Belgian aviation industry. Following the tragic events at Brussels-Zaventem airport, Brussels South Charleroi Airport accommodated dozens of extra flights initially scheduled to leave from Brussels, i.e. thousands of additional passengers. As a result, the figures for March 2017 were lower. 7% fewer passengers passed through BSCA during the third month of 2017. 541,625 passengers used BSCA this year, compared with 579,932 passengers in
2016.
The list of the most popular countries for flights to/from Brussels South Charleroi Airport remained more or less unchanged in the first three months of 2017. Italy ranked first, followed by Spain, France Morocco and lastly Poland.
Putting these results into perspective and focusing on a long-term vision for the business, Jean-Jacques CLOQUET, CEO of BSCA, said:
2016 was a difficult year but it showed the potential that we have and what we can achieve through hard work and determination. The lower results for the first quarter were expected, due both to the position of the half-term break and the tragic events that took place in Belgium in March 2016. The important thing is to look further ahead and to keep reevaluating our plans and our position in order to continue to grow our business.
Terminal 2, which opened in January 2017, increases our capacity and, thus, our ability to handle ore aircraft at times when we were previously constrained. In addition, Air Corsica began flights to Corsica (Ajaccio and Bastia) on 26 March 2017 and the results are good, with strong demand. Finally, on 27 April, a national carrier will land for the first time at Charleroi, launching the first route between Belgium and Belarus. Belavia will begin operations with a direct flight to Minsk, which will then open the door to cities such as Moscow, St Petersburg, Kiev, etc. (via Minsk). In short, dozens of additional destinations are being added to the cities on our list. It is essential now to focus on what the future has to offer us.
Charleroi, 12 April 2017
