Brussels Airport expects more than 1.7 million passengers to pass through its terminals during Belgium’s staggered autumn holidays, the operator announced on 19 October 2026. Because the French-speaking and Dutch-speaking school systems are off at different times this year (19 Oct – 1 Nov for Wallonia/Brussels and 2 – 8 Nov for Flanders), the traditional one-week surge will stretch into a three-week peak. The busiest day has already been Friday 16 October, when some 82,000 travellers transited the airport – close to pre-pandemic records. Winter-sun destinations in Spain, Morocco and the Canary Islands top the booking tables, but ski routes to Scandinavia are also seeing unusual early demand. The extended peak comes at a delicate moment: Brussels Airport is still fine-tuning processes for the EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System, which entered its progressive start-up phase in April. Periodic bottlenecks have produced waits of up to two hours for non-EU passport holders, prompting the airport to reinforce staffing and advise all Schengen passengers to arrive two hours before departure and non-Schengen passengers three hours ahead. Airport management has rolled out several mitigation measures: extra security lanes will open during morning waves; a “family fast-lane” will steer travellers with young children through dedicated screening stations; and parking discounts are being offered to encourage pre-booking and reduce traffic snarls at the drop-off ring. Airlines have been asked to crew additional check-in desks, while Belgian rail operator SNCB will add late-evening services on the Airport Line to cope with returning skiers. Corporate-travel teams should note that premium security fast-track passes will be capacity-controlled during the holiday window, and lounge access may be restricted once occupancy thresholds are reached. Multinational employers moving assignees this quarter are therefore urged to schedule departures outside the 06:00-10:00 and 17:00-20:00 peaks or to consider departing from secondary hubs such as Düsseldorf or Amsterdam. Looking ahead, Brussels Airport says the autumn holiday will serve as a stress test for Christmas, when the EES will be fully operational and EU airlines restore 96 % of their 2019 seat capacity. Lessons learned now will shape staffing rosters, passenger-flow modelling and contingency playbooks for the even busier winter period.
Source: The Bulletin
