From Thursday 14 July, visitors can enter the terminal at three different levels: the train station, the departure hall and, from 14 July, also the arrival hall. People coming to pick up passengers now have an easy access to the terminal at arrival level near the entrance to the louis delhaize supermarket and can thus, as previously, wait for their loved ones, family or friends right near the exit of the luggage reclaim hall.
Due to the new security measures at the airport, implemented by the federal government, visitors to the arrival hall will also need to pass through a pre-check by the federal police before having access to the building.
Only visitors without large bags or luggage can use the entrance at arrival level. Passengers with luggage can only enter at the departure level. Brussels Airport is working closely with the federal police to organise a pre-check at the level of the bus station, so that, in the near future, passengers with luggage can enter the terminal at three levels (train, bus, departure).
From Thursday, Brussels Airport is also making a new drop-off area available to taxi drivers. The first drop-off parking was 300 metres from the terminal; the new parking is right next to the terminal, just 30 metres away, so that passengers no longer need to walk as far with their luggage. Passengers can use the lifts in the parking building to reach the departure level.
Important change weekend at Brussels Airport
In the 5 days from Thursday 14 July to Monday 18 July, Brussels Airport is expecting more than 410,000 passengers. Not only will a large number of passengers set off for their well-deserved holiday, the first major wave of returning passengers will arrive at the airport. Friday 15 July will be the busiest day of the weekend, with 88,000 departing and arriving passengers.
Travel times to and at the airport
Brussels Airport advises passengers to be at the airport 2 hours before their flight. There are various possibilities for getting to the airport.
Passengers coming by car to the terminal must first pass through a check on the road manned by the federal police. The average waiting time for this is 2 to 3 minutes. At peak moments, particularly in the morning, the waiting time is an average of 10 minutes and 20 minutes at the most. Passengers who follow the advice to arrive at the airport 2 hours before their departure will always be in time for their flight. On the access road A201 to the airport, an information panel next to the road gives the actual waiting time to the airport.
Parking is possible in the parking buildings at the terminal or at the discount parking lots at Brucargo. The airport advises passengers to reserve these places. This is mandatory for the discount parkings.
Passengers who are being dropped off by car can use the parkings P1, P2 and P3 opposite the terminal, where parking is free of charge for 15 minutes. This summer, a special Kiss&Ride zone has been opened at Brucargo. A De Lijn bus or an airport shuttle will take passengers from the Kiss&Ride parking and from the discount parkings at Brucargo to the terminal free of charge. The buses and shuttles run every 10 minutes; the journey itself takes less than 10 minutes.
It is also easy to reach Brussels Airport by public transport. The NMBS offers direct trains to Brussels Airport from 85 Belgian railway stations per day. After a pre-check by the federal police, the passengers are right in the terminal. Every day, there are also around 1,000 bus connections operated by De Lijn and MIVB to the airport. The buses stop just 30 metres from the terminal.
All flight information and an indication of how busy the airport is expected to be in the coming period can be found on the website, the app and on social media.