Brussels Airport records passenger growth in March

Brussels Airport handled nearly 1.8 million passengers in March 2026, up 1.9% year-on-year, despite disruptions from Middle East tensions, strike action and seasonal shifts in travel demand.

Brussels Airport recorded 1,767,797 passengers in March 2026, representing a 1.9% increase compared to the same month in 2025, despite operational disruptions and geopolitical challenges.

Passenger traffic was impacted by the situation in the Middle East, which resulted in the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv and Doha, as well as reduced services to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. These disruptions led to an estimated loss of around 50,000 passengers.

Domestic factors also affected operations, including a national day of action on 12 March against federal government cost-cutting measures. Strike action by part of the external security service provider led to the cancellation of 359 flights, impacting approximately 30,000 passengers.

In addition, the timing of spring holidays in February, rather than March, influenced passenger volumes during the period.

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Despite these challenges, the airport expanded its network with the introduction of two new airlines and additional routes. Air China launched seven weekly flights to Beijing and three weekly services to Chengdu, increasing direct connections to Asia to nine destinations. Volotea introduced three weekly flights to Oviedo in Spain, while Royal Air Maroc added two weekly flights to Tetouan.

Transfer passengers accounted for 17% of departing travellers, primarily connecting to destinations in Africa, North America and Europe.

The most popular destinations in March included Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, Morocco, Türkiye, the United States, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

Commercial flight movements decreased slightly by 0.7% compared to March 2025, with passenger flights down 0.5%.

However, the average number of passengers per flight increased to 139, four more than in the same period last year.