Almost 65,000 tons of cargo shipped

In March, Brussels Airport again received more than 1.7 million passengers, an increase of 9 percent compared with March 2023. That was despite the slight negative impact of the temporary cancellation of flights to Israel and social unrest at some airlines. The total volume of transported cargo decreased slightly by two percent to almost 65,000 tonnes.

Passengers: +9% compared to March 2023

In March, Brussels Airport welcomed 1,742,478 passengers, nine percent more than in March 2023. The suspension of Tel Aviv-bound flights continued to have a negative impact on passenger numbers, though there was a limited resumption of flights in late March. The strikes at Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa also had a negative impact, as did the announcement of the strike at Brussels Airlines, which could ultimately be averted.

The proportion of departing transfer passengers was almost 17 percent, showing an increase in the number of intercontinental passengers.

The top 10 countries in March were Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, the United States, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Morocco and Portugal.

The first quarter of 2024 saw a total of 4.7 million passengers, almost 10% more than in 2023. The proportion of transfer passengers thereby remained stable with growth in intercontinental travellers and fewer intra-European travellers.

Cargo volumes: down 2% from March 2023

Total cargo volumes through Brussels Airport fell by two percent in March compared to March 2023, reaching almost 65,000 tonnes. Flown cargo volumes also experienced a small decline of almost two percent to a total of 54,000 tonnes.

There was a five percent decrease in the full freighter segment, while belly cargo increased by 20 percent, in line with increasing capacity in terms of passenger flights. Express services are down nine percent and trucked volumes are also down five percent.

The main import regions are Asia, with a strong increase of 42% compared to March 2023 due to an increase in e-commerce, Africa (+3%) and North America (-21%). The main export region is again Asia (-23%), followed by Africa (-1%) and North America (-30%).

In terms of cargo volumes, there was a slight growth of one percent in the first quarter. Flown cargo volumes registered growth of two percent this quarter.

Aircraft movements: 3% increase compared to March 2023

There were 15,237 aircraft movements in March, up three percent from March 2023. The number of passenger flights increased by seven percent compared to 2023. In March 2024, there were an average of 140 passengers per flight, two more passengers than last year. The number of cargo flights fell by almost 10 percent, mainly due to the decrease in express flights.

About Brussels Airport   

Brussels Airport is one of the most important airports in Europe. In 2023, Brussels Airport welcomed 22.2 million passengers and transported 701,000 tonnes of cargo through the airport. Brussels Airport caters for the specific needs of business travellers and holidaymakers alike, on both intra-European and long haul flights. In 2024, the airport offers direct connections between Belgium and 220 destinations worldwide, with flights operated by 72 airlines.   

The airport also offers a leading cargo platform, specialised in the transport of pharmaceutical products, perishable goods, e-commerce, and live animals. Brussels Airport is the most important pharmaceutical hub in Europe. 

With its SHIFT 2027 strategy, launched in 2022, Brussels Airport Company intends to strengthen its position as a major European hub, accelerate its ambitious sustainability goals, e.g., through the European Green Deal project Stargate, and continue to diversify its activities by focusing on innovation and cooperation.

Brussels Airport is the second most important economic growth pool in Belgium, good for 64,000 direct and indirect jobs and is owned and operated by Brussels Airport Company. The shareholders are a consortium of private investors (75%) and the  Belgian State (25%). Follow Brussels Airport on Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.