Brussels Airport expects record summer with 5.2 million passengers

Brussels Airport expects to welcome around 5.2 million passengers during the July-August holiday period, a 4% increase compared with last summer. The holiday rush begins on 26 June, with 20 July forecast to be the busiest day, handling more than 90,000 travellers.

Popular holiday destinations remain Spain, Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Morocco, while travellers can also benefit from new long-haul routes to São Paulo, Kilimanjaro, and Halifax, alongside an expanded network to China and Hong Kong. Despite geopolitical uncertainties, airport authorities say flight schedules and fuel supplies are not expected to be affected this summer.

To manage the increased traffic, Brussels Airport and its partners are deploying extra staff, adding temporary check-in facilities, and expanding self-service baggage drop options. Additional measures are also being introduced at border control, including increased police staffing and new pre-registration kiosks for non-European passengers, to minimise waiting times ahead of the introduction of the European Entry/Exit System.

Passengers are encouraged to prepare in advance by using the Brussels Airport app and chatbot BRUce for real-time flight information, luggage advice, and lost property services. The airport continues to advise travellers to arrive two hours before Schengen flights and three hours before non-Schengen departures.