Brussels Airport reports best month since the pandemic started

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June has been the best month for Brussels Airport since the beginning of the pandemic, however, the number of passengers is still 70% lower than in June 2019. With an increasing number of flights and the glimmer of hope in the form of summer holidays, that month saw the highest number of passengers since the start of the crisis in March 2020. At the same time, the air freight sector continues its steady growth, with volumes up 40% compared to June 2020, according to data from the airport. 

Vaccines are out, summer holidays abroad are in

Sitting at a comfortable 65% of the population having at least one dose of the vaccine, the situation in Belgium is returning to normal. In June, 646,589 passengers travelled via Brussels Airport, still a considerable decrease if compared to two years ago.

At the same time, this has been the strongest month for the airport since the begging of the pandemic and it confirms the growth trend since April 2021.

The new increase is partly due to the start of holiday flights and Morocco, lifting its fly-ban in mid-June. At this time, departures from the airport are higher than arrivals and transit flights, reflecting trends from 2019.

The top five destinations for planes departing the Brussels Airport hardly seem to have changed. Most planes are headed for Spain, followed by Portugal, Italy, Greece and Turkey, although that top five can change quickly because both Portugal and large parts of Spain are now turning into red zones again.

Demand for air freight is increasing across Europe

The strong growth in freight volumes since the start of the year continues, mainly due to increased demand for air freight across Europe. At the same time, freight traffic to Asia, North Africa and North America is also on the rise.

Currently, the increase sits at 40% compared to figures from June 2020. This is a relevant comparison because, according to a press release by the Brussels Airport, the Covid crisis had had a very limited impact on freight volumes.

This freight traffic also includes the transport of vaccines to and from the airport. To date, the airport has already processed 150 million vaccines for export outside Europe. This makes Brussels Airport one of the most important hubs for the worldwide distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.