Brussels Airport welcomed 2.2 million passengers in July, marking the highest monthly result since the Covid pandemic began.
In July, cargo transport at Brussels Airport decreased by 14% compared to July 2021. Air cargo volumes fell by 13%, while the full cargo segment declined by 21%. Full cargo flights with passenger aircraft continue to decline gradually, as expected, due to the recovery of passenger traffic. Last year, this segment accounted for a significant volume of freight.
Read more: Brussels Airport welcomed more than 65,000 tonnes of cargo in May
Express services were down 15%, as in previous months, due to a combination of weaker growth in the Western European e-commerce market and the temporary reallocation of some flights to other airports. Cargo on board passenger flights increased by 11%, due to the increase in the number of passenger flights. Finally, trucking volumes fell by 18%.
Asia was the most important region in terms of imports and exports, but volumes were lower than last year due to lower available capacity and the temporary effects of warehouse closures in China. Africa is the second largest import region and the third largest export region, showing growth over last year in both trade routes. North America is the third largest import region and the second largest export region.
Read more: BRU sees flown cargo volumes stable compared to 2021
The total number of movements in July 2022 increased compared to 2021 reaching 18,203 flight movements, which is still 19% lower than the level in 2019. The average number of passengers per flight reached a new record of 151 passengers, compared to 137 passengers in 2019. This is due to a further increase in flight occupancy and the deployment of larger aircraft. On the cargo side, the number of cargo flights has decreased by 12% compared to 2021.
Brussels Airport celebrated the results, as “a sign of a real summer recovery,” as this growth is linked to the strong recovery of the holiday market, as well as to many passengers visiting family and friends abroad.
