March traffic report: Brussels Airport sees rise in passengers despite challenges

Brussels Airport witnessed a notable surge in passenger numbers during March, hosting over 1.7 million travellers, marking a significant 9% increase compared to the same period last year. Despite facing hurdles like flight cancellations to Israel and operational disruptions at various airlines due to social unrest, the airport managed to maintain its upward trajectory.

Passenger Traffic

The suspension of flights to Tel Aviv continued to impact passenger figures, albeit partially offset by a gradual resumption of services towards the end of March. Additionally, strikes at airlines such as Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa, along with the looming threat of a strike at Brussels Airlines, posed challenges to passenger operations, which were fortunately mitigated.

Of the total passengers, departing transfer passengers constituted nearly 17%, indicating a rise in intercontinental travel. The top ten destinations for March included Spain, Germany, Italy, France, and others, reflecting a diverse range of travel patterns.

For the first quarter of 2024, Brussels Airport witnessed a commendable increase in passenger numbers, totalling 4.7 million passengers, a growth of almost 10% compared to the previous year. Notably, the proportion of transfer passengers remained stable, with a notable surge in intercontinental travellers.

Cargo Operations

While passenger traffic soared, cargo volumes experienced a slight dip of 2% compared to March 2023, amounting to nearly 65,000 tonnes. This decline was primarily observed in flown cargo volumes, which decreased by almost 2%.

Despite the overall decrease, belly cargo exhibited a noteworthy increase of 20%, aligning with the expansion of passenger flight capacities. However, express services and trucked volumes witnessed declines of 9% and 5% respectively.

In terms of import regions, Asia saw a significant surge of 42%, driven by the booming e-commerce sector. Meanwhile, Africa and North America experienced marginal increases and declines respectively. In exports, Asia remained the dominant region, albeit with a slight decrease, followed by Africa and North America.

Aircraft Movements

March also saw a 3% increase in aircraft movements compared to the previous year, totalling 15,237 movements. Passenger flights recorded a notable rise of 7%, with an average of 140 passengers per flight, indicating sustained demand. However, cargo flights witnessed a decline of almost 10%, primarily due to reduced express services.

Overall, despite facing challenges, Brussels Airport maintained its momentum in March, reflecting its resilience in the face of adversity and its commitment to facilitating seamless travel and cargo operations.