Zaventem - 7 January 2003.Since the second half of 2002, the airport traffic slowly but steadily recovers from the events that marked the end of 2001. Below you will find a survey of the evolution of the passenger numbers, the cargo volume carried and the number of movements
at Brussels National Airport in 2002.
Passenger figures
In 2002 Brussels Airport welcomed a total of 14,446,179 passengers, a decrease by 26.6 per cent compared to the total of 19,684,867 it received in 2001. Following the events of 11 September 2001 and the bankruptcies of CityBird and Sabena the passenger figures dropped severely in the autumn of 2001. Although november and december 2001 registered a growth
recession of 43 per cent compared to the results of the last two months of 2000, the total number of passengers showed a drop of only 9.6% thanks to the good results of the first semester and the fact that the impact of Sabena’s failure was limited to the last months of 2001. 2002 was likewise affected by the demise of Sabena. The start of SN Brussels Airlines – first with European and as from April also with African routes – and Thomas Cook as well as the adapted flight offer of Virgin Express, Sobelair and a few foreign carriers led to a slow recovery in the course of the year. The evolution of the number of passengers starting or ending their trip
at Brussels Airport decreased by 5.1% compared to 2001, a situation that is comparable to that at most of the other European airports. The number of transfer passengers however fell considerably, registering a total of 1,282,396 for the whole year. This can largely be explained by the fact that 95% of the transfer passengers used to be Sabena customers. In the course of the past few months however and particularly towards the end of the year the number of transfer passengers began to pick up noticeably.
Movements
In 2002 the number of movements (takeoffs and landings) at Brussels Airport amounted to 256,866, a decrease by 15.9% compared to 2001 when the airport registered 305,535 movements. The number of night flights continued to fall, registering a total of 19,575 compared to 20,953 in 2001. This is a further decrease of 6.58% after the decrease by 10.35% in 2001.Cargo
514,241 tonnes of cargo and mail were carried through Brussels Airport in 2002. Although Brussels maintains its fifth place in the European ranking, the volume carried showed a decrease by 8.7% compared to the 563,728 tonnes carried the year before.Prospects 2003
The second semester of 2002 already showed a slow recovery of the activities. The way the aviation sector will evolve in 2003 will largely depend on the economic climate and the geopolitical developments in the next few months. In spite of the sharp drop in transfers passenger numbers following the failure of our flag carrier, the number of passengers starting their journey at Brussels Airport or having it as their final destination is gradually recovering its former level. The development of a hub function by one or more airlines operating a combined network of European and long-haul destinations will be decisive for Brussels Airport in 2003.BIAC – Corporate Communications - B-1930 Zaventemwww.brusselsairport.be
Slow recovery of traffic figures at Brussels National Airport in 2002
Moderator: Latest news team