Brussels Airport continues its growth in February: 1.6 million passengers and 63,050 tonnes of cargo handled

Brussels Airport welcomed more than 1.6 million passengers in February 2026, an increase of 6.3% compared to February 2025. Cargo activities also continued their positive momentum, with 63,050 tonnes handled, up 6.5% year on year. These results underline the airport’s solid role as Belgium’s international gateway, both for passengers and for cargo.

Passenger traffic boosted by the Carnival holidays

The Carnival holidays contributed to growth in passenger numbers at Brussels Airport. The airport welcomed exactly 1,624,543 passengers, representing an increase of 6.3% compared to the same period in 2025. The two-week holiday period, which fell earlier this year than in 2025, when it spanned February and March, had a positive impact on passenger traffic growth.

Passenger traffic was driven by both intra-European connections and long-haul flights outside Europe, confirming the attractiveness of Brussels Airport’s international network. The share of transfer passengers, at 15%, remains significant, highlighting Brussels Airport’s role as a hub connecting Europe with Africa and North America.

The ten most popular destinations in February were Spain, Italy, Germany, Morocco, France, Turkey, Switzerland, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The average number of passengers per flight also continued to improve, with an average of 140 passengers per flight, compared to 138 in February 2025, reflecting a more efficient use of available capacity.

Cargo continues its growth momentum across all segments

In February 2026, total cargo volumes handled at Brussels Airport reached 63,050 tonnes, up 6.5% compared to February 2025. Flown cargo increased by 7.2%, once again driven by growth in cargo transported on passenger flights (+7.8%) and strong performance in the integrator segment (+12.1%), which combines air transport with final delivery. After a decline in January, the full-freighter segment, based on dedicated cargo flights, returned to growth, recording an increase of 0.6%. Road cargo volumes also increased, rising by 3.3%.

This positive evolution across all cargo segments reflects the strength of Brussels Airport’s positioning as a leading cargo platform in Europe and internationally.

The main import regions remain Asia, Africa and South America, with South America showing very strong growth compared to the same period in 2025. Exports to Africa and North America increased, while exports to Asia declined.

Increase in flight movements

Brussels Airport recorded 13,761 commercial flight movements in February, an increase of 4.1% compared to February 2025. Passenger flight movements rose by 5.1%, while cargo flight movements decreased by 2.7%. This decline is mainly due to a reduction in the number of full-freighter flights, partially offset by an increase in integrator flight movements.