Brussels Airport Reopens with Limited Capacity

Brussels Airport re-opened on Sunday with three flights taking off, the first since the bomb attacks at the airport.

In the days following, the number of flights will be gradually increased and passenger flights will also land at Brussels Airport.

Departing passengers are being received in temporary check-in facilities which leads to the screening platform in the Connector Building, from where the normal routing of passengers continues.

Arriving passengers will follow the usual routing, as that area of the airport was only slightly damaged by the attacks and has since been repaired. Passengers will collect their luggage from the reclaim area and leave via the arrival hall.

Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company, said, “I have heard dozens of stories from the fire services, from the operational teams, administrative staff and also from the airport police, about what they went through and saw. These people arrived very quickly at the scene. With risk for their own lives, they fearlessly went inside to help others. I cannot call this anything but heroic, and I have the very deepest respect for these actions. In the days that followed, I have also seen much courage, pride for Brussels Airport and persistence is being shown by everybody. That makes me very hopeful for the future of our airport and convinces me that we will emerge stronger than ever from this crisis.”

The airport resumed operations with 3 symbolic flights on Sunday, 3 April. The flights, all operated by Brussels Airlines, flew to Faro, Turin and Athens.

In the following days, the number of flights will gradually be increased to the maximum capacity of the temporary structures in the check-in area, that is 800 departing passengers per hour.

Other airlines, besides Brussels Airlines, are also expected to recommence their operations at Brussels Airport in the days ahead.

The final coordinator is currently working on the exact flight schedule for the coming days in consultation with the airlines.

Passengers who have questions about their flight should contact their airline.

“I am very well aware that not every airline can or wants to return to Brussels Airport. I personally promise that Brussels Airport will do everything in its power to increase as quickly as possible the capacity of our airport and to quickly grow the economic activities of our airport,” said Arnaud Feist.

Brussels Airport has now started the demolition work to remove all damaged elements in the departure hall. In the coming weeks, Brussels Airport Company will be working on a strategic plan for the reconstruction of the departure hall. This will take place in two stages, whereby the focus in the first stage will be on restoring the functionality of several check-in desks in the departure hall. In the second stage, the work will focus on a comprehensive reopening of the departure hall. While, a fixed timescale for this has not yet been fixed, the airport is aiming to have a maximum capacity available before the start of the summer holidays at the end of June, beginning of July.

Brussels Airport - Practical Information

The airport can, at the moment, only be reached by car or taxi. In the coming days, the airport will examine the possibility of restarting other means of transport, such as bus and train.

At the entrance to the airport area and at the entrance to the check-in zone there will be additional security measures. Brussels Airport recommends passengers to arrive at least 3 hours before the scheduled departure of their flight and have their identity papers and travel documents handy in the car and at the temporary check-in area.

Dropping passengers is only possible in front of parking P2. All other parking areas are closed for the moment, including the discount parking at Brucargo. It is not possible to accompany the passengers to the check-in area. Only people with an air ticket will be allowed through to the temporary check-in.

Collecting passengers is only possible from in front of parking P2. A pick-up area has been created, where drivers can wait for the people they are meeting. In P2, the first 10 minutes is free of charge. If you remain within that limit, you do not need to validate your ticket at the ticket machines but can use your ticket to drive out.

“The attack has struck at the heart of everybody. But it is important to pick up the thread. Brussels Airport is country’s the second largest economic generator. The airport not only gives 20,000 people a job, but, thanks to the connectivity with the rest of the world, allow companies in our country to develop and grow,” said Marc Descheemaecker, chairman of the Board of Directors of Brussels Airport Company.

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