Belgian airports welcomed a record 36.4 million passengers last year, surpassing the previous high set in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
This marks a 4.5% increase compared to 2022, which saw 34.8 million passengers. The 2023 figure exceeded the 2019 record by approximately 850,000 travellers.
Brussels Airport remains below its 2019 peak despite a 3.3% increase last year to 24.4 million passengers. The current total is nearly two million fewer than in 2019, representing a 7.5% drop.
Charleroi Airport compensated for this gap with significant growth, handling three million more passengers compared to 2019. The total reached a record 11.2 million passengers at Brussels South Charleroi Airport.
Smaller airports at Ostend, Antwerp, and Liège accounted for around 800,000 passengers collectively, with half travelling through Ostend.
Cargo traffic across Belgian airports, primarily in Liège and Brussels, was reported at 2.1 million tonnes last year. This figure falls slightly short of the 2021 record, which stood at 2.3 million tonnes.
