Brussels Airport - General, Pressroom

The magic of Christmas descends on Brussels Airport

This Friday marks the start of the Christmas school holidays, that will see just under one million passengers passing through the Brussels Airport terminal which is steeped in a magical and festive atmosphere. This year, Brussels Airport has pulled out all the stops to welcome its passengers eager to make their Christmas getaway on a relaxing holiday break. Decorations, entertainments, small gifts, tastings for young and old will send them off on their holidays filled with joy and good spirits.

Jetting off on holiday can sometimes be a little stressful. Especially to people who are not seasoned travellers. This year, Brussels Airport has definitely kept these people in mind, as well as those who will be passing through the airport during the Christmas holidays. As a holiday should get under way the minute people arrive at the airport, Brussels Airport has gone out of its way to welcome the 980,000 passengers who will be flying into and from Brussels between this coming Friday 20 December and 5 January. The top holiday destinations over the Christmas season? Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Geneva and Rome. The top 5 favourite long-haul destinations are Dubai (which ranks 8th on the list of all destinations combined), New York, Doha, Bangkok and Abu Dhabi.

Up until mid-January, all these passengers will be immersed in the fairy-tale Christmas atmosphere with festive decorations, wintry scenes and no fewer than 200 beautifully decorated Christmas trees in every corner of the terminal. Even the central flight information display board in the departures hall is animated with wintry projections. Needless to say Father Christmas will be regaling us with his presence, sitting on his sleigh, ready to pose for photos, bringing mirth and a smile to holidaymakers’ faces with the help of his elves who will be frolicking and gambolling around the entire length of the terminal to take passengers’ pictures, whilst handing out speculoos, chocolates and all manner of discount vouchers. Live music, a jukebox in the baggage reclaim hall, mobility-impaired people movers made to look like sleighs for the occasion, festive Instagram backdrops and, above all, two large fully furnished domes set up just outside the departures hall complete our magical setting.

At the service of all passengers

Families will again enjoy pride of place during the upcoming holiday season courtesy of the Family Lane, a security screening lane especially reserved for families that has been decked out around the Frozen II theme. For toddlers, we have opened our kids corner on pier A, whilst slightly older children get to enjoy themselves with the Airport Winter Games.

During the very busy Christmas season, Brussels Airport has not lost sight of passengers with little time to spare. Henceforth, travellers can order items from Brussels Airport’s very own web shop from home at www.brusselsairport.be/shop and collect them at one of the online order pick-up desks upon departure or arrival. And anyone who buys a Fast Lane Pass from the Brussels Airport website will get through security screening even quicker, saving valuable time to soak up the warm atmosphere at Brussels Airport.

Unique Christmas presents

The airport is also the perfect place to do some last minute Christmas shopping. Discount vouchers will be handed out to passengers at Brussels Airport tempting them to find the right gift for their loved ones from the vast choice of Christmas presents available from more than 40 shops. We will also be selling Brussels Airport limited edition Christmas baubles for the Make-a-Wish charity. Finally, anyone wishing to send Season’s greetings to their loved ones, can do so for free by writing their message on a Brussels Airport 'Magic Christmas card' at the airport and dropping it into one of the dedicated mail boxes at the airport.

This Friday kicks off the Christmas holiday with no less than 76,000 passengers coming through Brussels Airport, of which 41,000 travellers are flying out, making it the busiest day of the festive season.

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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