‘Noisy’ Brussels Airport welcomed 26,3 million passengers

Last year, Brussels Airport welcomed 23.6 million passengers. That’s 6.4% more than in 2023 but still just over 10% below the record level set before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview with the business newspaper De Tijd, CEO Arnaud Feist also states unequivocally that Brussels Airport will not be able to meet the noise standards included in the environmental permit for the coming years. According to him, the targets imposed are not realistic.

Spain most popular

The Zaventem-based airport gained ten new passenger destinations and five new airlines last year. “Mainly intercontinental destinations were added (Bangkok, Curaçao, Nairobi, Shanghai, and Singapore), which greatly broadens the offer for passengers, both for direct destinations and onward travel,” says Brussels Airport.

But vacation traffic, and particularly travel to visit family and friends, saw the strongest increase. Spain, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Morocco, the United Kingdom, the United States, Portugal, and even France and Switzerland made up the top 10 most popular destination countries. Thanks to the use of larger aircraft, there were an average of 144 passengers per flight, a record,

Cargo transport is  also on the rise

Cargo traffic increased by 4.6% last year to 732,797 tons. Four new airlines joined the cargo side: LATAM Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, Farcargo, and Virgin Atlantic. Cargo on board passenger aircraft, in particular, supported growth, up 23% from 2023, given the continued recovery of passenger flights and new intercontinental destinations.

The main import regions were Asia, Africa, and North America. Asia also ranked first in exports, followed by North America and Africa.

Nearly 200,000 flight movements

Brussels Airport had 198,617 aircraft movements (passenger and cargo) last year, or 3.3% more than in 2023. For your information, the new environmental permit includes a ceiling of 240,000 flights, a ceiling set by Brussels Airport itself at which the airport’s growth would not be stopped—at least until 2032.

By then, Brussels Airport expects to handle 32 million passengers annually. That would be a 21% increase over record year 2019. Just yesterday, T&E, among others, warned in a new study against the consequences of rising flight movements in Europe.

Last year, 15,866-night slots (departure and landing rights) were also granted, just slightly below the legal limit of 16,000-night slots. There were 16,000 commercial flight movements between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., though, with 16,175.

That’s because sometimes flights with delays or operational problems are still allowed to operate during the night hours without a slot. These do not count toward the legal limit.

However, the number of night flights without a night lock has dropped significantly by -28% over the past two years, to 1,055.

‘Noise standards will not be met’

Otherwise, in an interview with the newspaper De Tijd, Arnaud Feist, the CEO of the airport, said that Brussels Airport would not be able to meet the noise standards included in its environmental permit for the coming years.

“We want to reduce the impact of flights on residents as much as possible, but the targets imposed are unrealistic. Both Boeing and Airbus are facing serious delays for the delivery of new aircraft.”

The American and French aircraft makers struggled during and immediately after the Covid-19 crisis. Severely disrupted supply chains prevented aircraft from being finished and delivered—delivery times for new aircraft now extend beyond 2030.

Last March, Brussels Airport received an unlimited-duration environmental permit from then-Flemish Environment Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA).

This does not ban the airport from night flights but does include an obligation to reduce sleep disturbance for residents by at least 30% by 2032. This will be achieved by imposing increasingly strict moise standards for weekend flights starting in 2026.

Brussels Airlines has filed a notice of objection to the Flemish government’s Noise Action Plan.