Brussels Airport welcomed more than 2.2 million passengers in April 2026, representing a 3.8% increase compared with the same month last year, while cargo volumes rose by 6.2% to nearly 74,000 tonnes.
The airport said school holiday traffic helped offset the continued impact of instability in the Middle East. Flights to Tel Aviv and Doha remain suspended, while services to Dubai and Abu Dhabi are still operating below 2025 levels, resulting in an estimated loss of 50,000 passengers during the month.
Despite these challenges, Brussels Airport maintained steady growth thanks to strong leisure demand during both the Flemish and French-speaking school holiday periods. The airport handled 2,203,773 passengers in April.
The airport also expanded its route network with a new four-times-weekly service to Gda?sk operated by LOT Polish Airlines. The most popular destinations during the month included Spain, Italy, Morocco, Germany, Portugal, Turkey, France, the United States, Switzerland and Greece.
Transfer traffic showed particularly strong growth, with departing transfer passengers accounting for 12% of total passenger numbers, mainly on routes to Europe, Africa and North America.
Cargo activity also remained robust. Total volumes reached 73,964 tonnes, with full freighter traffic increasing sharply by 23.5%, especially on routes to Asia. Express cargo also grew, while cargo carried in passenger aircraft bellies declined by 8% due to the reduced Middle East flight schedule. Trucked cargo volumes increased by 5.2%.
Commercial flight movements increased by 3% overall in April, including a 3.1% rise in passenger flights and a 5.4% increase in cargo flights. Aircraft occupancy also improved slightly, averaging 151 passengers per flight, one more than a year earlier.
