Leisure traffic and Low Cost airlines continue to generate growth at Brussels Airport

With 1,888,193 passengers handled in September, Brussels Airport records a slightly negative growth of -0.1%. As is the case at most other European airports, the crisis is now also starting to affect passenger numbers while cargo volumes have been showing negative growth these past months. 

All departing passenger segments (originating -0.5%; transfer -4.0% and transit -19.7%) record negative figures, but this is largely compensated by the 0.7% increase in arriving passenger numbers that was still registered in the first week of September. Intra-European business traffic fails to match last year’s figures. However, the European low-cost and leisure segments continue to grow. In the long-haul segment, Brussels Airlines in particular records strong growth.  

The number of aircraft movements continues to drop considerably, in September by as much as 4.7%. This is not only explained by the use of relatively larger aircraft: the increased efficiency also translates into an improved general load factor which is now above 75%.  

For the first time in months, cargo decreased significantly by -8.6%. The belly cargo and integrator segments however continue to record positive growth.

Passenger growth in the next few months will be affected by the suspension of Jet Airways’ daily services to JFK and Chennai, and by American Airlines’ decision to stop its daily service to JFK. Brussels Airlines’ plan to rationalise its European network will likewise impact traffic results.

New services in the next few months are Brussels Airlines to Edinburgh, easyJet to Basel, Air Europa to Madrid and Thomas Cook Airlines to the Cape Verde Islands