New traffic data released on 11 June show Brussels Airport welcomed 2.27 million passengers in May 2026—a 3.2 % rise year-on-year—even as a nationwide strike day forced the cancellation of roughly 400 flights and the Middle-East conflict kept routes to Tel Aviv and Doha suspended. Long-weekend leisure demand to Spain, Italy and Greece and a 9 % jump in transfer traffic to Africa helped offset the labour disruption, according to airport COO Arnaud Feist. Cargo fared even better: tonnage spiked 12 %, driven by a 53 % leap in full-freighter movements serving Asia and South America. For mobility planners, the numbers underscore Brussels’ resilience as a hub for expatriate rotations to Africa and onward connections to North America, even amid labour unrest. However, the strike shaved an estimated €3 million from ancillary-revenue streams such as parking and duty-free, potentially fuelling tension in upcoming wage negotiations with ground-handling staff. Growth comes as the airport enters its busiest fortnight since pre-pandemic times, coinciding with the EU Council summit (18–19 June). Border-police unions have called for “work-to-rule” actions if June overtime caps are not relaxed, a scenario that could extend passport-control queues by up to an hour, airport sources say. Companies routing project teams through Brussels in late June should monitor flight-status alerts and consider flex tickets or routings via Amsterdam or Paris as back-up.
Source: Aviation24.be
