Brussels Airport: decrease in passenger numbers compensated by long haul traffic

Passengers

In November Brussels Airport welcomed 1,351,000 passengers, down 1.9% on the corresponding period last year. This decrease is largely due to a general decline in the economy. Contrary to the overall slightly downward trend we notice a steady general increase of intercontinental traffic, in particular on the routes operated by Brussels Airlines and other Star Alliance carriers. Low fare equally continues to grow strongly.

Movements

In November, Brussels Airport registered 19,000 flights, a decrease by 4.6% on pcp. Again we notice that the number of flights is growing at a slower pace or decreasing more rapidly than the number of passengers. The increasing average number of passenger per flight is explained by an improved load factor and the use of larger aircraft.

Cargo

With 34,608 tonnes carried, cargo traffic was down 17% on the corresponding month last year. For the first time this year, Brussels Airport records a decrease in all cargo segments (full freighter, belly cargo and integrator traffic). These figures are entirely in line with the negative trend in cargo traffic elsewhere in Europe.

New routes

On 3 December, Air Europe started a two daily service to Madrid. Demavia / Fly Congo launched a direct full-freighter service to Luanda and Kinshasa.

On top of earlier announcements, Vueling is to open routes to Alicante and Malaga in addition to its flights to Barcelona and Valencia. Thomas Cook Airlines opens four new routes: Bastia, Biarritz, Nice and Reykjavik. Brussels Airlines is to resume its service to Palermo and Aegean Airlines is adding a service to Rhodes to its current flight offer to Athens, Iraklion and Corfu.