November sees Brussels Airport traffic soar with over 1.6 million passengers

Saturday, December 16, 2023

November saw Brussels Airport welcoming 1,613,845 passengers, reflecting a 10% increase from the same period in 2022. Notably, this marked the first instance of surpassing the 20 million passenger milestone since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conclusion of Belgium’s autumn holidays in early November contributed to a higher influx of arriving passengers compared to departures. Additionally, the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv, continuing from October, had a negative impact on overall passenger numbers.

Among departing passengers in November, 15% were transfer passengers, experiencing a slight decline in tandem with the general decrease in transfer passengers across Europe. The top ten visited countries during the month included Spain, Germany, Italy, Turkey, the UK, France, the USA, Switzerland, Morocco, and Portugal.

Brussels Airport reported a noteworthy development as it exceeded the 20 million passenger mark for the first time since 2019 and the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contrarily, air cargo volumes in November experienced an 8% decrease compared to the same period in 2022. The total cargo volumes at Brussels Airport fell by 11%, amounting to 57,280 tonnes. Flown cargo volumes recorded an 8% decline, totaling 47,727 tonnes. While the full freighter segment saw a marginal 1% reduction, belly cargo on passenger aircraft increased by 9%, driven by the rise in passenger flights. Express services and trucked cargo volumes witnessed declines of 22% and 21%, respectively.

Asia emerged as a significant import region, posting a substantial 47% increase compared to November 2022, alongside Africa and North America. Similarly, Asia dominated as the primary export region, followed by North America and Africa.

The month of November witnessed a 6% increase in flight movements at Brussels Airport, totaling 14,783. Passenger flights saw a notable uptick of 10% compared to the same period in 2022, maintaining an average of 135 passengers per flight. Conversely, cargo flights experienced a 10% decline compared to November 2022.

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