Brussels Airport is preparing for its busiest summer season yet, expecting around 5.2 million passengers in July and August 2026, a 4% increase compared to the same period last year.
The holiday rush begins as early as Friday, June 26, when 82,000 passengers are expected. The single busiest day of the summer will be July 20, with over 90,000 travelers passing through the airport. Spain, Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Morocco are the most popular destinations, followed by Portugal, Tunisia, Egypt, and Croatia. Long-haul travelers can choose from new direct routes this summer, including São Paulo, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and Halifax in Canada, while the airport’s offering to China and Hong Kong has expanded to six direct destinations.
To handle the increased volumes, Brussels Airport is deploying extra terminal staff, adding pop-up check-in desks, and opening a new Self Bag Drop zone for SAS, Finnair, KLM, and Transavia passengers alongside the existing zone for Lufthansa Group and Brussels Airlines. Additional border control officers have been posted at departures, and nearly 60 pre-registration kiosks for the European Entry/Exit System are being tested to reduce waiting times for non-EU passengers.
Passengers are advised to arrive two hours before Schengen flights and three hours before non-Schengen departures. The Brussels Airport App and chatbot BRUce provide live flight updates, carry-on luggage guidance, and lost property assistance. The current 100ml liquid rule for carry-on baggage remains in effect until new CT scanners are introduced in 2028.
