The record monthly traffic clocked in at a 6.9% increase from the same month in 2016. In addition, July also saw passenger numbers at the airport exceed 90,000 in a single day.
The number of originating passengers rose by 7.8% compared to July 2016, attributed to a revival in the seasonal domestic market in the summer. Brussels Airlines attracted more local passengers – a departure from last year’s figures. Some reduction was seen, however, with the the number of transfer passengers dropping by 1.9% in July.
Growth was reportedly driven largely by Brussels Airlines, on long-haul flights and European traffic, while low-cost traffic has levelled out. EasyJet and Vueling experienced some decline; however, this was compensated for by the growth of Ryanair, WOW Air, Eurowings, Air Arabia and Blue Air – and by the introduction of several new destinations.
Flight movements increased by 2.2% and the seat occupancy rate also rose by 4.8%, with an average 130 passengers per flight compared to last July’s 124 passengers.
July also saw cargo traffic grow by 3.8%, largely attributable to the restart of long-haul passenger flights at full capacity during the month, in the aftermath of the March 22 attacks. Relaunched flights resulted in a 13.9% increase in belly cargo compared to July last year.
On the other hand, full-freighter transport fell by 9.9% because of the stricter noise standards in Brussels, and several airlines have left Brussels airport or reduced their cargo volumes; however, Express (integrator) services continue to demonstrate growth, with an increase of 8.2% in July compared to the same month last year.
