Brussels Airport has closed the first half of 2026 with solid growth across both passenger and cargo operations, handling 11,684,976 passengers — up 3.6% year-on-year — and nearly 420,000 tonnes of cargo, an 8.3% increase, despite a challenging external environment.
The growth was supported by eight new destinations launched in the first six months, including five long-haul routes. Highlights include Air China’s new service to Chengdu, LATAM’s inaugural São Paulo route — the first direct connection between Belgium and South America in over 25 years — and Brussels Airlines launching flights to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
The results came against considerable headwinds. The Middle East conflict led to the suspension of Tel Aviv flights and reduced frequencies to Gulf destinations, affecting both passenger numbers and belly cargo. Two national days of industrial action in March and May together impacted around 55,000 passengers, and a spontaneous strike by air traffic service provider skeyes on June 2 resulted in the cancellation of all scheduled flights that day, affecting a further 25,000 travelers.
On the cargo side, the airport’s performance was strong across multiple segments. Full freighter volumes grew 16.7%, trucked cargo rose 16.2%, and total flown cargo increased 7%, with belly cargo broadly flat due to Middle East route suspensions.
June alone saw 2,215,965 passengers, up 1.7%, supported by the resumption of Doha flights from June 15, the return to normal Gulf frequencies, and new connections to São Paulo, Kilimanjaro, and Halifax. June cargo reached 70,895 tonnes, up 12.2%, driven by a 16.5% jump in full freighter volumes and a 42.4% surge in trucked cargo.
Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany, and Turkey were the five most popular destination countries in June.
