Zaventem Airport welcomed a total of 22,200,755 passengers in 2023, 17% more than the previous year, according to the airport authorities. However, the cargo segment saw a decline of 10%.
With these figures, the airport reached 84% of its 2019 footfall, after which global travel ground to a halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Passenger transit numbers also rose by 21% last year, compared to 2022, accounting for 15% of total footfall.
“The leisure sector – covering holiday traffic and visits to friends or relatives – has almost completely recovered,” said Brussels Airport. “There is also clear recovery in business travel.” However, burgeoning use of video conferences and growing ecological awareness have put a brake on this, particularly affecting short-haul flights.
The top five countries visited in 2023 were, Spain, Germany, Italy, Turkey, and the United States, in that order.
Flight movements also rose by 7%, boosted by a 12% increase in passenger flights but weighed down by an 8% decrease in cargo flights. A total of 192,257 movements were recorded.
A new record was set for passengers per flight, at 141 last year compared to 135 in 2022. This increase was due mainly to the use of larger-capacity aircraft and a higher rate of aircraft occupancy.
The cargo sector had a less successful 2023, with a 10% drop in total freight volume, which brought it to 700,846 tonnes. Air freight transport fell by 6%, a rate that, Brussels Airport assures, is “in line with global trends.”
In 2023, the three main regions for import and export were Asia, Africa, and North America.
