Brussels Airport announced record passenger and cargo figures in March

Brussels Airport announced record passenger and cargo figures in March

In March, Brussels Airport again received more than 1.7 million passengers, an increase of 9% compared with March 2023. The total volume of transported cargo decreased slightly by 2% to reach almost 65,000 tonnes.

In March, Brussels Airport welcomed 1,742,478 passengers, 9% 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.

READ: United Cargo opens new facility at Newark Liberty Airport

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%, 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 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.

Total cargo volumes through Brussels Airport fell by 2% in March compared to March 2023, reaching almost 65,000 tonnes. Flown cargo volumes also experienced a small decline of almost 2% to a total of 54,000 tonnes.

There was a 5% decrease in the full freighter segment, while belly cargo increased by 20%, in line with increasing capacity in terms of passenger flights. Express services are down 9,% and trucked volumes are down 5%.

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 1% in the first quarter. Flown cargo volumes registered a growth of 2% this quarter.

READ: Commercialising a brand-new pathway to SAF

There were 15,237 aircraft movements in March, up 3% from March 2023. The number of passenger flights increased by 7% 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%, mainly due to the decrease in express flights.

Picture of Anastasiya Simsek

Anastasiya Simsek

Anastasiya Simsek is an award-winning journalist with a background in air cargo, news, medicine, and lifestyle reporting. She began her career in 2016 at top Ukrainian TV networks, including 24 Channel and 1+1 Media. In 2024, Anastasiya joined Air Cargo Week, quickly making her mark in the air cargo industry. She was honored as the Technology Journalist of the Year at the 2024 Seahorse Freight Association Awards. For exclusive insights or to share your news, contact Anastasiya at anastasiya.simsek@aircargoweek.com.

Newsletter

Stay informed. Stay ahead. To get the latest air cargo news and industry trends delivered directly to your inbox, sign up now!

related articles

IICS 2024: a landmark in global logistics innovation

What’s next for global trade?

New shipment tracking label will reduce $1.3 trillion annual cost of supply chain waste

WAIT... BEFORE YOU GO

Get the ACW Daily Newsletter for up-to-the-minute news on everything important in the airfreight industry

Logo Air Cargo Week