Pressroom, Events

Brussels Airport celebrates 60th anniversary!

This morning, the Minister of Transport, François Bellot, and Arnaud Feist, the CEO of Brussels Airport Company, officially launched the festivities for the airport's 60th anniversary. There was live music and a giant cake was cut and cake pops were distributed to passengers in the departures hall, and in Piers A and B, while airport workers were treated to an ice cream.

60 years ago to this day, Belgium inaugurated its first airport in Zaventem tailored specifically to the needs of commercial aviation. The country thus had a modern airport providing quality infrastructure for airlines and passengers, and able to connect Belgium to the rest of the world. The airport was already innovating in terms of multimodality, being the first airport in the world to have its own railway station directly connected to the terminal.

The Brussels World Fair that Belgium hosted that year was the trigger. The airport today is totally different from that of 1958 following its many infrastructure developments (new piers, new terminal, etc.), as well as the strong growth of passenger and cargo traffic. The new buildings meet the ever-changing needs of passengers, airlines and the many partners of Brussels Airport. These various players have therefore actively participated in the expansion of the airport. It is only natural that they should also be there to celebrate this anniversary.

'In its 60 years of existence, Brussels Airport has become a major economic player in our country and represents tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs. With nearly 25 million passengers last year, it undoubtedly contributes to Brussels being the centre of Europe. Its development must be part of a model of integrating environmental concerns into economic development, as in all sectors of activity', says François Bellot, Federal Minister of Transport. ‘In addition, the intermodal platform available to the airport, combining air, rail and road transport, is able to meet the growing mobility needs of companies and their employees. This is a good example to follow, which also contributes to the economic development of its environment.'

'Brussels Airport is above all a big family and it is with the family that we want to celebrate our anniversary’',explains Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport. 'With passengers, airlines, all our staff and partners, and also the whole of Belgium because most Belgians have memories, a link, an anecdote related to their airport. This anniversary gives us the opportunity to look back on the recent history of our country and also to project ourselves into the future and better understand all that Brussels Airport can bring to Belgium in the decades to come.'

A photo retrospective in Connector will allow passengers to relive the great moments that have marked the past six decades, such as the opening of the cargo area in 1979, the inauguration of Pier A in 2002 and the opening of Connector in 2015.The photos show our airport as the setting for memorable moments in the history of Belgium and Europe.

From September, our country will take pride of place thanks to the collaboration of Belgian iconic personalities. All these events and initiatives will plunge us into a festive and retro atmosphere around the "60 Years" of Brussels Airport.

Share

Latest stories

Website preview
Brussels Airport receives environmental permit for first phase of Hub 3.0: an important step towards the airport of the future
Brussels Airport has received an environmental permit for the first phase of Hub 3.0, a large-scale project that will prepare the airport infrastructure for the future. This permit allows Brussels Airport to officially start work on the expansion of the arrival and departure hall, the new intermodal hub, the construction of a new hotel and office building, and the creation of the green boulevard and park.
pressroom.brusselsairport.be
Website preview
Brussels Airport expects over 1 million passengers during the Christmas break
Brussels Airport expects more than 1 million passengers during the Christmas holidays. With nearly 1,060,000 passengers expected to depart and arrive (almost 3% more than last year), this is a new record for this holiday season. At the start of the holidays, on Friday 19 December, nearly 70,000 passengers are expected. They will be able to enjoy a unique Christmas concert on that day by the ‘Scaletta Choir’, the children's and youth choir of 'Scala'.
pressroom.brusselsairport.be
Website preview
1.8 million passengers at Brussels Airport in November, up by a mere 0.1% due to national industrial action
Cargo volumes up 3% to 69,000 tonnes
pressroom.brusselsairport.be

Get updates in your mailbox

By clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy.

About Brussels Airport

Brussels Airport is one of the most important airports in Europe. In 2024, Brussels Airport welcomed 23.6 million passengers and transported 733,000 tonnes of cargo through the airport. Brussels Airport caters for the specific needs of business travellers and holidaymakers alike, on both intra-European and long haul flights. In 2025, the airport offers direct connections between Belgium and 210 destinations worldwide, with flights operated by 80 airlines.   

The airport also offers a leading cargo platform, specialised in the transport of pharmaceutical products, perishable goods, e-commerce and live animals. Brussels Airport is the most important pharmaceutical hub in Europe with the largest area of temperature-controlled warehouses.  

With its SHIFT 2027 strategy, launched in 2022, Brussels Airport Company intends to strengthen its position as a major European hub, accelerate its ambitious sustainability goals, e.g. through the European Green Deal project Stargate, and continue to diversify its activities by focusing on innovation and cooperation.

Brussels Airport is the second most important economic engine in Belgium, good for 64,000 direct and indirect jobs and is owned and operated by Brussels Airport Company. The shareholders are a consortium of private investors (75%) and the Belgian State (25%).Follow Brussels Airport on Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.  

Contact

www.brusselsairport.be