Brussels Airport reported 2.3 million passengers in May 2026, a 3.2 % year-on-year increase, and a double-digit (12 %) rise in cargo tonnage, according to traffic statistics released on 11 June. The gains were achieved even though a one-day national strike on 12 May forced the cancellation of roughly half the flight schedule and geopolitical tensions curtailed services to Tel Aviv, Doha and other Gulf destinations. Extended public-holiday weekends and the end of Walloon school vacations boosted outbound leisure demand, with Spain, Italy and Greece topping the destination chart. Transfer traffic—crucial for the hub’s intercontinental relevance—stabilised at 13 % of total departures, driven by African and North-American connections. Cargo growth was led by full-freighter operators linking Brussels to Asia and South America; express-integrator volumes dipped 5.4 % amid softer e-commerce demand. For corporate travel managers, the numbers signal that capacity is tightening again on popular summer routes, reinforcing the need to book flexible fares early. Freight forwarders, meanwhile, will welcome the additional wide-body frequencies that airlines plan to deploy from July, although belly-hold capacity to the Middle East remains constrained. Airport CEO Arnaud Feist highlighted the resilience of Belgium’s main gateway: “Industrial action and geopolitical shocks are becoming the new normal. Our May figures prove we can still grow while absorbing these disruptions.” The next challenge is a three-week taxiway renovation set for late June, which could see evening peak slots trimmed by 5–7 %.
Source: Aviation.Direct
