Nearly 2.3 million passengers travelled through Brussels Airport in May, marking a 3.2% increase compared to May 2025, the airport operator announced on Thursday.
Brussels Airport saw a 3.2% increase in passenger numbers compared to May last year, despite a nationwide protest on 12 May, which prevented 25,000 passengers from flying, and disruptions in the Middle East, which led to suspended flights to Tel Aviv and Doha, as well as reduced flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Extended weekends and the return of school holidays in French-speaking regions boosted passenger numbers.
Cargo traffic saw a sharp rise, with total freight volumes at the airport increasing by 12% in May to 75,847 tonnes. The boom in air cargo (+12.3%) was driven by a 53.3% surge in full cargo shipments, attributed to higher trade volumes with Asia and South America.
Express cargo services, however, declined by 5.4%, marking their first decrease of the year. Freight carried on passenger flights, known as "belly cargo", remained impacted by the Middle East conflict, recording a 5.3% drop.
