Brussels Airport welcomed over 1.5 million passengers in February 2025, a slight decrease of 1.6% compared to the same month last year. The decline is largely attributed to the shorter month this year, as 2024 was a leap year, and the national trade union strike on 13 February, which disrupted flights throughout the day. Meanwhile, cargo volumes saw a modest increase of 0.3%, reaching nearly 60,000 tons.
Passenger Traffic: 1.6% Decline Compared to February 2024
A total of 1,528,190 passengers traveled through Brussels Airport in February 2025. The decrease was primarily due to the absence of the extra leap day and the nationwide strike, which caused flight cancellations. Additionally, the Dutch-speaking school system’s spring break (Krokusvakantie) began in March this year instead of February, affecting travel patterns.
Conversely, the spring break in the French-speaking education system, which started in the last week of February, contributed to an increase in departing passengers over arrivals. Transfer passengers accounted for around 15% of the total, with most connections linking to Africa and North America.
The top ten travel destinations in February were Spain, Germany, Italy, Morocco, Switzerland, France, Turkey, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates.
Cargo Volumes: 0.3% Overall Increase, 1.4% Growth in Air Cargo
Brussels Airport recorded a total cargo volume of 59,177 tons in February 2025, marking a 0.3% year-on-year increase. Air cargo specifically rose by 1.4% to 49,580 tons.
While full freighter traffic declined by 12%, cargo carried on passenger flights saw a notable increase of 6.3%. Express services grew by 13% compared to February 2024, while trucked volumes decreased by 5%.
The primary import regions remained Asia, Africa, and South America, while exports were led by shipments to Asia, followed by North America and Africa.
Flight Movements: 0.5% Decrease Compared to February 2024
The number of flight movements in February 2025 saw a slight decline of 0.5% compared to last year. Passenger flights decreased by 1.5%, while cargo flights remained steady at similar levels to February 2024.
On average, there were 138 passengers per flight, matching the figures from the previous year, highlighting stable load factors despite the slight dip in total passenger numbers.
