2 million passengers passed through Brussels Airport in October

54,000 tons of air cargo transported 

During the month of October, Brussels Airport welcomed 2 million passengers, an increase of 8% compared to the same month in 2022. The start of the autumn mid-term holidays of French-language schools has positively influenced the figures. After months of decline, flown air cargo volumes record a slight increase (+0.4%) on October last year. 

Passengers: +8% compared to October 2022 

In October, Brussels Airport welcomed 2,016,071 passengers, an increase of 8% compared to the same month in 2022. The two-week mid-term holiday of French-speaking schools in Belgium and the autumn school holidays in the Netherlands boosted the numbers of passengers departing from Brussels Airport as of October 20. On the other hand, the suspension of Brussels Airlines flights to Tel Aviv at the beginning of October had a negative impact on passenger numbers.  

The share of transfer passengers was 14.5% in October, which confirms Brussels Airport’s role as a hub, particularly for the airlines of the Star Alliance group, and more particularly for flights from Europe and North America to Africa. 

The ten most visited countries in October were Spain, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Portugal, France, Morocco, the United States, Greece and the United Kingdom. 

It should be noted that in  the first ten months of 2023, the number of passengers travelling through Brussels Airport equalled that recorded for the whole of 2022. 

Flown cargo volumes: slight increase to 0.4% 

In October, overall freight volumes at Brussels Airport fell by 3% compared to October 2022, reaching 64,220 tonnes.  

After several months of decline, flown cargo volumes grew slightly (+0,4%), totalling 53,646 tonnes.  

The full freighter segment fell by 4% while belly cargo increased sharply by 24%, thanks to the increase in passenger flights. Express services fell by 6% and trucked cargo volumes  by 18%.  

The main import regions are Asia (which recorded a sizeable increase of 31% compared to October 2022), Africa and North America. The main export region is also Asia, followed by North America and Africa. 

Flight movements: 3% increase compared to October 2022  

In October 2023, the number of flight movements increased by 3% to 17,313. The number of passenger flights increased by 7% compared to 2022. There was an average of 142 passengers per flight, two more than in October last year, thanks to the use of larger aircraft and a higher seat occupancy rate per flight. The number of cargo flights decreased by 8% compared to October 2022.