Nearly 1.4 million passengers at Brussels Airport in February, up 65% on 2022

A slight decline in freight volumes of 2%. 

In February, Brussels Airport welcomed over 1.4 million passengers, an increase of 65% compared to 2022. February was marked by the Carnival holidays, which brought many holidaymakers to Brussels Airport. Freight volume decreased slightly by 2% compared to 2022. 

Number of passengers: a 65% increase on February 2022 

Brussels Airport welcomed 1,362,145 passengers in February, an increase of 65% compared to February 2022, which was still heavily impacted by Covid-related travel restrictions. The Carnival holidays, which were spread over two weeks (until March) for French-speaking schoolchildren, as opposed to one week for Dutch-speaking schoolchildren, had a positive impact on passenger numbers, with more passengers leaving than arriving. The share of transfer passengers was more than 16%, double that of February 2022, confirming Brussels Airport's position as a major hub.  

The ten most visited countries in February were Spain, Germany, Italy, the UK, Switzerland, France, the USA, Turkey, Portugal and Morocco. 

Cargo: 2% decline in volumes compared to February 2022 

In February, cargo volumes at Brussels Airport decreased by 2% compared to February 2022, mainly due to a 16% decrease in trucked cargo volumes and the current geopolitical tensions.  

Compared to February 2022, air cargo volumes increased slightly by 2%. Here, the full cargo segment grew by a healthy 5%, while cargo carried on passenger aircraft also grew by 6%. However, there was a 3% decrease in the express services segment.  

The main importing regions are Asia (+20% compared to February 2022), Africa (+4%) and North America (-16%). Regarding exports, Asia (+28%) and Africa (+2%) again increased their volumes, while North America saw its volumes fall by 21%.    

Flights 

The total number of flight movements grew by 27% in February 2023 compared to 2022. The number of passenger flights increased by 44% compared to 2022, averaging 136 passengers per flight. The number of cargo flights decreased by 5% compared to February 2022, mainly due to the stoppage of cargo-only passenger flights in July 2022.