Record traffic numbers in first half of 2015
Brussels Airport records strong growth in passenger and cargo traffic from January to June 2015
Cargo traffic at Brussels Airport recorded a strong growth of almost 10% in the first half of the year compared to 2014, with a remarkable 16% increase in June 2015 on June last year. Passenger traffic in June 2015 was up 5.6% on the corresponding month last year. Regarding passenger traffic, Brussels Airport amply exceeds the 10 million passenger mark with a growth of more than 9% in the first semester of 2015. In June, passenger traffic at Brussels Airport was up 5.6% on June 2014.
"The strong growth in cargo recorded over the first six months confirms the growing importance of Brussels Airport as a primary logistics hub in Europe. The evolution of passenger traffic on the other hand confirms the accelerated growth that started in 2014 and was driven among other things by Brussels Airlines and the low cost segment", says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.
Passengers
Over the first half of the year, the number of passengers increased by 9.2% on the first six months of 2014. Growth is driven mainly by the strong performance by Brussels Airlines’ short haul flights and the low cost segment.
In June, the number of passengers rose by 5.6% compared with June 2014. Growth is recorded both in the number of originating passengers and that of passengers transferring at Brussels Airport. Growth in the number of transit passengers is mainly attributed to the increased offer of connecting flights by Brussels Airlines.
Freight
Cargo traffic shows a 10% growth over the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2014. A result that is driven by the arrival in the last year of new full-freighter airlines: Ethiopian Airways, Qatar Cargo, Yangtze River Express and KF Aerospace that started its cargo operations at the end of May 2015. The sustained growth of DHL operations over the past few years likewise contributes to this result.
In the month of June, freight transport at Brussels Airport saw a substantial growth of 15.9% on June2014. The full freight segment showed a remarkable increase of 41.6%.
The arrival of the new companies strengthens the role of Brussels Airport as a leading logistics hub within Europe. The easy connections with the road network make Brussels Airport attractive to these companies. Brussels Airport also offers them high-quality and specialised infrastructure for the safe and fast handling of perishables, pharmaceuticals and biotech goods.
Flight movements
At mid-year, the increase in flight movements is relatively limited compared to the considerable growth in passenger numbers. In June, the number of movements rose slightly, by 3.7% compared with June last year, which is half the percentage increase in passengers. This is explained by a higher passenger payload. In June 2015 there were on average 115 passengers per plane, compared with 112 passengers in June 2014.