Introduction
International airport serving Brussels, Belgium
Not to be confused with Brussels South Charleroi Airport or Brussels (Armstrong Field) Airport.
Brussels AirportLuchthaven BrusselAéroport de BruxellesFlughafen BrüsselIATA: BRUICAO: EBBRWMO: 06451SummaryAirport typePublic / militaryOwner/OperatorBrussels Airport CompanyServesBrussels Capital RegionFlemish BrabantWalloon BrabantLocationZaventem, Flemish Brabant, BelgiumHub forAir BelgiumBrussels AirlinesSingapore Airlines CargoFocus city forTUI fly BelgiumElevation AMSL175 ft / 53 mCoordinates50°54′05″N 004°29′04″E / 50.90139°N 4.48444°E / 50.90139; 4.48444Websitewww.brusselsairport.be/enMapsAirport diagramBRU/EBBRLocation in BelgiumShow map of BelgiumBRU/EBBRBRU/EBBR (Europe)Show map of EuropeRunways
Direction
Length
Surface
m
ft
01/19
2,987
9,800
Asphalt
07R/25L
3,210
10,531
Asphalt
07L/25R
3,638
11,936
Asphalt
Statistics (2025)Passengers24,383,115Freight (tonnes)795,271Aircraft movements198,370Sources: Brussels Airport, Belgian AIP
Brussels Airport (IATA: BRU, ICAO: EBBR) is the main international airport of Belgium. It is located in the municipality of Zaventem in Flemish Brabant, 12 km (7 miles) northeast of Brussels. Also informally known as Brussels-National Airport or Brussels-Zaventem Airport, Brussels Airport handled more than 26 million passengers in 2019, making it the 26th-busiest airport in Europe. It is home to around 260 companies, together directly employing 20,000 people and serves as the home base for Brussels Airlines and TUI fly Belgium. The airport covers 1,245 hectares (3,076 acres) and contains three runways.
On 22 March 2016, the airport's departures hall was severely damaged by two terrorist bomb blasts. The airport was closed until 3 April 2016, when it was reopened with temporary facilities at less than 20% of its previous capacity. It has since returned to full operations, with a record of 90,000 passengers on 29 July 2016.
The airport is owned primarily by the Flemish and Belgian government, who own 39% and 25% respectively.
History
[edit]
Early years[edit]
The origins of Brussels Airport at Zaventem date back to 1940, when the German occupying force claimed 600 ha (1,500 acres) of agricultural fields reserved as a back-up airfield ("Steenokkerzeel"). There the Luftwaffe established Fliegerhorst Melsbroek and constructed three runways in the shape of a triangle: runway 02/20, runway 07L/25R (both of which are still in use today) and runway 12/30. The airport buildings were constructed in the nearby municipality of Melsbroek and not of Zaventem, which is why the airfield was known to the locals as Melsbroek (in Dutch) (or "Fliegerhorst Melsbroek" in German). There is an urban legend that the site of the airport was chosen by the Germans after asking locals where to build it–the Belgians then pointed to this location as it was often foggy.[citation needed]
Terminal 58 at Brussels Airport, built for Expo 58 (pictured in 1974)
After the liberation on 3 September 1944, the German infrastructure at Melsbroek fell into the hands of the British. When the old civilian airport in Haren became too small, the Belgian authorities decided to use the aerodrome at Melsbroek for the new national airport. By 1948, a new terminal building was constructed to replace the old wooden building. In the same year, the lengths of both runways 02/20 and 07L/25R were increased, to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) and 2,450 m (8,040 ft) respectively, whereas 12/30 remained at 1,300 m (4,300 ft). The civil aerodrome of Melsbroek was officially opened by Prince Charles, Count of Flanders, the prince regent, on 20 July 1948. From 1948 to 1956, many more buildings and facilities were erected, mostly on the Melsbroek side of the site.[citation needed]
In 1955, a railway line from Brussels city centre to the airport was constructed. The line was officially opened by King Baudouin on 15 May 1955.[citation needed]
In 1956, a new 2,300 m (7,500 ft) runway was constructed, 07R/25L, which almost runs parallel with 07L/25R. The runway is still in use today and saw its length later increased to 3,200 m (10,500 ft). In April 1956, the Belgian government decided to build a new airport, using the same runways, but with the buildings located within the municipality of Zaventem. In April 1957, construction started of the new terminal, preparing the airport for the 1958 World's Fair (Expo 58). The grass runway 12/30 had to make way to allow for the new passenger terminal. This new airport was inaugurated on 5 July 1958, just in time for the 1958 World’s Fair. The buildings on the Melsbroek side are still in use by the Belgian Air Force (15th Air Transport Wing), and this is still known as Melsbroek Airfield. Both Zaventem Airport and Melsbroek Air Base, the military airfield, share the same runways.
Development since the 1960s[edit]
Sabena Boeing 707-300 at Brussels Airport in 1966
Air Zaïre McDonnell Douglas DC-10 at Brussels Airport in 1990
During the boom of commercial aviation in the 1960s and 1970s, several hangars were constructed. A new cargo terminal was constructed in 1976. In 1994, a brand new terminal was constructed adjacent to the old 1958 building. Two old piers were torn down and replaced by modern ones. In 2002, amidst the turmoil surrounding the demise of the national airline Sabena, a new pier was opened.
In 2005, the airport was awarded Best Airport in Europe by Airports Council International / International Air Transport Association (ACI/IATA), based on a survey of over 100,000 passengers worldwide. Brussels Airport continued to appear in top airports lists as of 2012. A direct train link with Leuven and Liège was opened on 12 December 2005.
In 2007, the airport served 17.8 million passengers, an increase of 7% over 2006. The cargo volume in the same year amounted to 780,000 tonnes, an increase of 8.9% over 2006. In 2008, the airport served 18.5 million passengers, which was an increase of 3.7% over the previous year.
Sabena's demise meant a sharp fall in passenger traffic, a blow from which the airport only slowly recovered. The airport's future is threatened by disagreement between the governments of Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region concerning night-time air traffic routes.
In March 2009, the old mechanical Flight information display systems were replaced by electronic ones. In September 2009, CEO Wilfried Van Assche resigned. One of the (unofficial) reasons was the delay in the construction of the low-cost terminal and the possible lawsuit by 52 airlines active at Brussels Airport, on the grounds of tax discrimination. It was Van Assche who started expanding the Long-Haul network (Jet Airways, Hainan Airlines, Etihad Airways and US Airways) at Brussels Airport. In February 2010 Arnaud Feist was appointed CEO. The Chairman of the Board is Marc Descheemaecker [nl].
On 18 February 2013, in the 2013 Belgium diamond heist, eight men armed with automatic weapons and dressed in police uniforms seized 120 small parcels containing an estimated US$50 million worth of diamonds from a Helvetic Airways Fokker 100 passenger plane loaded with passengers preparing for departure to Zürich. The men drove two vehicles through a hole they had cut in the airport perimeter fence to Flight LX789, which had just been loaded with diamonds from a Brink's armored van from Antwerp. They carried out the operation within five minutes with no injuries and without firing a shot.
2016 Brussels bombings[edit]
Main article: 2016 Brussels bombings
On 22 March 2016, two explosions took place in Brussels Airport at 07:58 local time. One occurred near the American Airlines and Brussels Airlines check-in desks and the other next to a Starbucks coffee shop. A third bomb was found in the airport and detonated in a controlled explosion. The airport was closed after the attacks until 3 April, when it reopened with temporary facilities at less than 20% of its previous passenger capacity. Flights bound to Brussels Airport were either cancelled or diverted to nearby airports such as Brussels South Charleroi Airport, Ostend–Bruges International Airport, and Schiphol. At 09:11 CET, an explosion took place at Maelbeek/Maalbeek metro station. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attacks as an act of revenge against Belgium for participation in the ongoing Military intervention against ISIL.
Facilities
[edit]
Terminal exterior
Departures area at Pier A
Runway and apron
Control tower
Brussels Airport uses a one terminal concept, meaning that all the facilities are located under a single roof. The terminal building consists of several levels. The railway station is located on −1, buses and taxis arrive at 0, arrivals are located on level 2 and departures on level 3. Levels 2 and 3 are connected to the airport's two piers (A and B).
Pier A[edit]
The newest pier in Brussels airport was pier A, opened on 15 May 2002. This pier was destined to support flights from and to the Schengen countries (A-gates). However, since 15 October 2008 all Brussels Airlines flights to African destinations are also handled at this pier. Therefore, border control was installed towards the end of the pier in order to create a new pier. As a result, gates A61-72 were renamed T61-72. Later, Brussels Airlines' daily flight to New York was also moved here from pier B.
Until 26 March 2015, Pier A was connected to the main building via a 400-metre-long (1,300 ft) tunnel under the apron. Each pier used to have its own security zone, so transfer between the piers involved a security check, which for practical purposes made it in essence two terminals. This tunnel was replaced by the "Connector", a new building that links both piers above ground and allows passengers to walk straight from the check-in desk to their gate in pier A or B, without changing floors. In the opposite direction, the building provides arriving passengers with a smooth and convenient passage to the baggage reclaim hall and the exit. Furthermore, border control has been relocated behind the 25-lane screening platform (Europe's largest) inside the Connector which means that changing planes no longer requires a security check.
Pier B[edit]
Pier B is the oldest pier still in use at Brussels Airport and is only used for flights outside the Schengen Area. Pier B is connected immediately to the main departure hall and consists of two decks. The upper deck (level 3) is at the same level as the departure halls and is used for the departing passengers, whereas the lower deck (level 2) is used for arriving passengers and connects immediately to border control and the baggage claim area.
Planned[edit]
Pier A West[edit]
Pier A West is a planned expansion of Pier A, and is meant to relieve Pier B by also handling flights from non-Schengen countries. Pier A West was due to open in 2016, but because of the slow passenger growth, Brussels Airport announced in July 2013 that the works would be delayed. However, in November 2015, Brussels Airport announced a major 550 million euro investment and pointed out that within this investment the extension of the pier is included.
Low-cost pier[edit]
Just as is the case for Pier A West, the construction of a new low-cost pier is currently on hold. It will be built roughly where the old south pier used to be. At present, several low-cost airlines including Ryanair and Wizz Air fly to Brussels-South Charleroi Airport, 40 km (25 mi) away from Brussels. In autumn 2013, low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines announced it would end its flights between Brussels Airport and Turkey. The service between Brussels and Istanbul–Sabiha Gökçen would relocate to Brussels-South Charleroi Airport. However, Turkish Airlines announced on 26 November 2013 it would offer one daily flight on the same route, starting one month after Pegasus terminated its operations at the airport. One day later, Ryanair announced the opening of a second Belgian base at Brussels Airport, giving a boost to low-cost traffic at Brussels Airport. Ryanair announced on 27 November 10 new routes from Brussels Airport, although Brussels-South Charleroi Airport will remain the low-cost carrier's primary Belgian base.
Services[edit]
Drinking water fountains are found all over the airport. After security check-in, water bottles are available for a small fee.
Shops, bars and restaurants are scattered throughout the building. A few facilities are located in the departure area. These are mostly convenience stores and small shops such as the airport shop, a pharmacy, Relay stores and a coffee shop. But most of the facilities can only be accessed after Security control –and are tax free. Several brands and chains have a branch in both piers, however several only operate in pier A. The airport also features places of worship (for Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Orthodox Christians and Protestants), as well as a place for meditation for humanists. The airport provides meeting facilities and can host congresses up to 600 participants, either in the Regus Skyport Meeting Center or in the Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel. The latter is the only hotel located on the airport grounds, opposite the terminal. Shuttle services are provided to 14 nearby hotels.
All passengers now have unlimited free Wi-Fi access.
Other facilities[edit]
Several airlines have or had its head offices at the grounds of Brussels Airport. Brussels Airlines has its corporate head office in the b.house, Airport Building 26, located in Diegem, Machelen. European Air Transport had its head office in Building 4–5, in Zaventem. Before Sabena went out of business, its head office was in the Sabena House on the grounds of Brussels Airport. When it existed, Virgin Express had its head office in Building 116 in Zaventem. SN Brussels, which formed in 2002, had its head office in Airport Building 117 in Zaventem when it existed. Prior to its disestablishment, Sobelair had its head office in Building 45 in Zaventem. CityBird was based in building 117D. The cargo airline Cargo B Airlines had its head office in the Brucarco Building 706 in Zaventem.
Airlines and destinations
[edit]
Passenger[edit]
The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Brussels:
AirlinesDestinations Aegean Airlines Athens, Larnaca, Thessaloniki
Aer Lingus Dublin
Air Algérie Algiers Seasonal: Oran
Air Arabia Casablanca, Fès, Nador, Oujda, Rabat, Tangier
Air Canada Montréal–Trudeau Seasonal: Halifax (begins 19 June 2026), Toronto–Pearson
Air China Beijing–Capital, Chengdu–Tianfu
Air Europa Madrid
Air Serbia Belgrade
Air Transat Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau
airBaltic Riga, Tallinn
AJet Istanbul–Sabiha Gökçen Seasonal: Ankara
All Nippon Airways Tokyo–Narita
Amelia International Brive
Austrian Airlines Vienna Seasonal: Innsbruck
BH Air Seasonal: Burgas
British Airways London–Heathrow
Brussels Airlines Abidjan, Accra, Alicante, Athens, Banjul, Barcelona, Berlin, Bilbao, Billund, Bologna, Budapest, Bujumbura, Catania, Conakry, Copenhagen, Cotonou, Dakar–Diass, Douala, Edinburgh, Entebbe, Faro, Florence, Frankfurt, Freetown, Fuerteventura, Funchal, Gothenburg, Gran Canaria, Hamburg, Hurghada, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Kinshasa–N'djili, Kraków, Lanzarote, Lisbon, Ljubljana, Lomé, London–Heathrow, Lyon, Madrid, Málaga, Manchester, Marseille, Milan–Linate, Milan–Malpensa, Monrovia–Roberts, Munich, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta, New York–JFK, Nice, Oslo, Ouagadougou, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Porto, Prague, Rome–Fiumicino, Stockholm–Arlanda, Tel Aviv, Toulouse, Valencia, Venice, Vienna, Vilnius, Warsaw–Chopin, Yaoundé, Yerevan, Zürich Seasonal: Antalya, Bordeaux, Brindisi, Chania, Corfu, Djerba, Dubrovnik, Heraklion, Ibiza, Kos, Marrakesh, Monastir, Mytilene, Nador, Naples, Olbia, Oujda, Palma de Mallorca, Rabat, Rhodes, Samos, Sharm El Sheikh, Split, Tangier, Washington–Dulles, Zadar, Zakynthos Seasonal charter: Harstad/Narvik
Bulgaria Air Sofia
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong
Chalair Aviation Seasonal: Brive
Corendon Airlines Seasonal: Antalya, Bodrum, Burgas, Dalaman, Eskişehir, Heraklion, Izmir, Kos, Palma de Mallorca, Rhodes, Tenerife–South
Croatia Airlines Zagreb
Cyprus Airways Larnaca
Dan Air Bacău
Delta Air Lines Atlanta
easyJet Bordeaux, Geneva, Milan–Linate, Nantes (begins 26 October 2026), Nice, Rome–Fiumicino
Egyptair Cairo
Emirates Dubai–International
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
Finnair Helsinki
Flynas Jeddah
FlyOne Bucharest–Otopeni, Chișinău, Yerevan
Hainan Airlines Beijing–Capital, Chongqing, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenzhen
HiSky Bucharest–Otopeni
Iberia Madrid
Icelandair Reykjavík–Keflavík
ITA Airways Milan–Linate, Rome–Fiumicino
Juneyao Air Shanghai–Pudong
KLM Amsterdam
KM Malta Airlines Malta
LATAM Brasil São Paulo–Guarulhos
LOT Polish Airlines Gdańsk, Warsaw–Chopin
Lufthansa Frankfurt, Munich
Middle East Airlines Beirut
Norwegian Air Shuttle Seasonal: Oslo, Tromsø
Nouvelair Seasonal: Djerba, Tunis
Qatar Airways Doha
Royal Air Maroc Casablanca, Marrakesh, Nador, Rabat, Tangier, Tétouan Seasonal: Al Hoceima, Oujda
Royal Jordanian Amman–Queen Alia
RwandAir Kigali
Ryanair Barcelona, Dublin, Madrid, Málaga, Marrakesh, Porto, Rome–Fiumicino, Valencia Seasonal: Girona, Palma de Mallorca, Pisa
Scandinavian Airlines Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm–Arlanda
Singapore Airlines Singapore
Sky Express Athens Seasonal: Heraklion
Smartwings Prague
SunExpress Eskişehir Seasonal: Adana/Mersin, Ankara, Antalya, Izmir, Kayseri
Swiss International Air Lines Geneva, Zürich
TAP Air Portugal Lisbon
TAROM Bucharest–Otopeni
Thai Airways International Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
Transavia Alicante, Bari, Bordeaux, Faro, Marrakesh Seasonal: Ibiza, Málaga, Seville, Tenerife–South
TUI fly Belgium Agadir, Algiers, Al Hoceima, Alicante, Antalya, Béjaïa, Boa Vista, Casablanca, Constantine, Dakar–Diass, Djerba, Enfidha, Eskişehir, Fès, Fuerteventura, Funchal, Gran Canaria, Hurghada, Lanzarote, Málaga, Marrakesh, Marsa Alam, Oran, Oujda, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Rabat, Sal, Sharm El Sheikh, Tenerife–South, Tlemcen Seasonal: Almería, Banjul, Bodrum, Brindisi, Burgas, Catania, Chania, Corfu, Dalaman, Dubrovnik, Faro, Girona, Heraklion, Innsbruck, Ibiza, Izmir, Jerez de la Frontera, Kayseri (begins 19 June 2026), Kittilä, Kos, Lamezia Terme, Larnaca, Luxor, Menorca, Murcia, Mykonos, Mytilene, Nador, Naples, Palermo, Palma de Mallorca, Paphos, Patras, Ponta Delgada,[citation needed] Pristina, Reus, Rhodes, Sälen-Trysil, Samos, Santorini, Split, Tangier, Tétouan, Thessaloniki, Tirana, Tivat, Varna, Zakynthos
Tunisair Tunis
Turkish Airlines Istanbul
United Airlines Chicago–O'Hare, Newark, Washington–Dulles
Volotea Asturias
Vueling Alicante, Barcelona, Bilbao, Florence, Málaga, Valencia Seasonal: Palma de Mallorca
Widerøe Bergen
Cargo[edit]
AirlinesDestinations DHL Aviation Bahrain, Barcelona, Basel/Mulhouse, Bordeaux, Casablanca, Cologne, Copenhagen, Cincinnati, Dublin, East Midlands, Lagos, Leipzig, London-Heathrow, London-Luton, Lyon, Madrid, Marseille, Milan-Malpensa, Riyadh, Shanghai-Pudong, Shenzhen, Toulouse, Vitoria
Egyptair Cargo Cairo
Emirates SkyCargo Chicago–O'Hare, Columbus–Rickenbacker, Dubai–Al Maktoum, London–Stansted
Ethiopian Cargo Addis Ababa, Johannesburg–O.R. Tambo, Miami, Seoul–Incheon
LATAM Cargo Chile Campinas, Frankfurt, Santiago de Chile
Qatar Airways Cargo Accra, Chicago–O'Hare, Doha, Los Angeles
Royal Air Maroc Cargo Casablanca
RwandAir Mwanza
Singapore Airlines Cargo Amsterdam, Berlin, Frankfurt, Mumbai, Munich, Sharjah, Singapore
Suparna Airlines Cargo Moscow–Domodedovo, Zhengzhou
Turkish Cargo Istanbul
Virgin Atlantic Seasonal: London–Heathrow
Statistics
[edit]
Traffic[edit]
PassengersYear6,000,0009,000,00012,000,00015,000,00018,000,00021,000,00024,000,00027,000,000199520002005201020152020PassengersAnnual passenger traffic
Traffic by calendar year
Year
Passenger volume
Change over previous year
Aircraft operations
Change over previous year
Cargo (tonnes)
Change over previous year
2024
23,610,856
06.4%
198,617
03.0%
732,797
05.0%
2023
22,200,755
016.9%
192,257
07.4%
585,203
05.8%
2022
18,930,698
0102.31%
178,930
050.7%
621,482
07.0%
2021
9,357,221
038.76%
118,733
023.92%
668,110
030.59%
2020
6,743,395
074.42%
95,813
059.13%
511,613
02.18%
2019
26,360,003
02.70%
234,460
00.40%
500,702
07.9%
2018
25,675,939
03.60%
235,459
01.00%
543,493
01.5%
2017
24,783,911
013.60%
237,888
06.30%
535,634
08.30%
2016
21,818,418
07.00%
223,688
06.50%
494,637
01.10%
2015
23,460,018
06.96%
239,349
03.38%
489,303
07.79%
2014
21,933,190
014.60%
231,528
06.90%
453,954
05.60%
2013
19,133,222
00.90%
216,678
03.00%
429,938
06.40%
2012
18,971,332
01.00%
223,431
04.40%
459,265
03.30%
2011
18,786,034
09.30%
233,758
03.60%
475,124
00.20%
2010
17,180,606
01.10%
225,682
02.60%
476,135
06.00%
2009
16,999,154
08.20%
231,668
010.50%
449,132
032.1%
2008
18,515,730
03.40%
258,795
02.10%
661,143
015.60%
2007
17,900,000
07.10%
264,366
03.80%
783,727
08.90%
2006
16,707,892
03.30%
254,772
00.60%
719,561
02.40%
2005
16,179,733
03.50%
253,255
00.30%
702,819
05.80%
2004
15,632,773
02.90%
254,070
00.70%
664,375
09.40%
2003
15,194,097
05.40%
252,249
01.80%
607,136
013.1%
2002
14,410,555
026.8%
256,889
015.9%
536,826
08.00%
2001
19,684,867
09.00%
305,532
06.30%
583,729
015.1%
2000
21,637,003
07.90%
352,972
04.20%
687,385
01.90%
1999
20,048,532
015.7%
312,892
04.30%
674,837
–
1998
18,400,000
015.7%
300,000
08.30%
1997
15,900,000
018.7%
277,000
04.90%
1996
13,400,000
07.20%
264,000
–
1995
12,500,000
011.6%
1994
11,200,000
–
1993
10,000,000+
–
1950
240,000+
–
The relapse in 2001 and 2002 is due to the combined effects of the September 11 attacks and the collapse of then home carrier Sabena in the final quarter of 2001.
The cargo relapse in 2008 and 2009 is due to the combined effects of the 2008 financial crisis, also affecting passenger volumes in 2009, and the relocation of DHL Aviation to Leipzig/Halle Airport. DHL departed after the Belgian government decided they could not operate more cargo flights at night because of noise for the people living in the surrounding area.
The 2016 decrease in passenger numbers and aircraft movements results from the 2016 Brussels bombings which caused the airport to close for 11 days before reopening with severely reduced capacity.
Routes[edit]
Busiest European routes from Brussels Airport
Rank
Destination
Airport(s)
Passengers 2024
1
Madrid
MAD
1,014,027
2
Barcelona
BCN
883,847
3
Rome
FCO
633,983
4
Malaga
AGP
620,931
5
London
LHR
571,288
6
Alicante
ALC
538,283
7
Geneva
GVA
526,592
8
Vienna
VIE
518,716
9
Lisbon
LIS
516,642
10
Frankfurt
FRA
514,276
Busiest Intercontinental routes from Brussels Airport
Rank
Destination
Airport(s)
Passengers 2024
1
Dubai
DXB
384,322
2
Newark
EWR
266,999
3
New York City
JFK
265,503
4
Washington, D.C.
IAD
263,836
5
Doha
DOH
259,003
6
Montréal
YUL
236,468
7
Tangier
TNG
234,834
8
Casablanca
CMN
220,908
9
Chicago
ORD
202,871
10
Abu Dhabi
AUH
198,327
Ground transportation
[edit]
Road[edit]
Brussels Airport bus service
Brussels Airport can be reached by car via the A201, which is directly connected to the Brussels Ring (R0) orbital motorway. From there, the main motorways of Belgium can directly be accessed. Private partners provide three car parks at the airport, offering in total 10,600 parking spaces. Shell operates a self-service filling station near the exit of the airport complex.
For bus transportation, De Lijn provides services to and from various cities in Flanders from platforms A and B (via Brucargo). The Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company (STIB/MIVB) provides transportation into Brussels city centre from Schuman railway station, Brussels-Luxembourg railway station, and Trône/Troon metro station via line 12 from platform C. Platform E is used by Hotel Shuttles, offering services to several hotels near the area.
Taxis are permanently available in front of the arrivals hall. Licensed taxis can be recognized by a blue and yellow emblem.
Ground Transportation at Brussels Airport[edit]
Brussels Airport is accessible by car via the A201, which connects directly to the Brussels Ring (R0) orbital motorway. From there, the main motorways of Belgium can be directly accessed. Private partners provide three car parks at the airport, offering a total of 10,600 parking spaces. Shell operates a self-service filling station near the exit of the airport complex.
Several car rental services are located in the airport, including Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, and Thrifty. DriveNow offers a car-sharing service at Brussels Airport located at P3 Holiday Parking, and Zipcar has parking spaces. Taxi2Share provides a shared cab service from the airport.
For bus transportation, De Lijn provides services to and from various cities in Flanders from platforms A and B (via Brucargo). The Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company (STIB/MIVB) provides transportation into Brussels city centre from Schuman railway station, Brussels-Luxembourg railway station, and Trône/Troon metro station via line 12 from platform C. Additionally, the Flibco shuttle network connects Brussels Airport to various destinations, including inter-airport transfers and routes to cities such as Lille, Antwerp, and Luxembourg. Platform E is used by Hotel Shuttles, offering services to several hotels near the area.
Taxis are permanently available in front of the arrivals hall. Licensed taxis can be recognized by a blue and yellow emblem.
Rail[edit]
Main article: Brussels Airport-Zaventem railway station
Brussels Airport-Zaventem railway station
Brussels Airport-Zaventem railway station is located under the airport building at level −1. The train station has direct services to Antwerp, Brussels, De Panne, Ghent, Hasselt, Landen, Leuven, Mechelen, Nivelles and Quévy. At least four trains per hour serve the most used link to Brussels-South railway station, where international connections are offered by Eurostar (to Amsterdam, Avignon, Cologne, Essen, Lille, London, Marseille, Paris and Valence), ICE (to Cologne and Frankfurt), and Eurocity (to Basel, Bern, Chur, Luxembourg and Zürich).
A direct train link with Leuven was opened on 12 December 2005. A direct link with Antwerp and Mechelen via the so-called Diabolo line was opened for public service on 10 June 2012. The Diabolo project is a public-private partnership. It has been decided that all rail passengers to Brussels Airport-Zaventem railway station pay a "Diabolo supplement" to finance the ongoing and planned work.
As of December 2014, a direct train link between Bruges and the airport will be offered, just as an Intercity service to Schiphol and Amsterdam.
Since the new Schuman-Josaphat tunnel has been finished, a new connection has been established to connect Brussels Airport directly to the stations of the European Quarter, being Brussels-Schuman and Brussels-Luxembourg. This brought the travel time between the airport and the European Quarter to 15 minutes. The National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB) announced the line to open as an hourly service. However, the line now sees a train every 30 minutes on weekdays.
Tram[edit]
In an attempt to alleviate the gridlock around Brussels, the Flemish regional transport company De Lijn started the Brabantnet project, which was then scheduled to be finished by 2020.
Three new light rail lines will be created, of which 2 will terminate at Brussels Airport:
The Airport Tram, connecting Brussels Airport to Brussels-North railway station, but taking a different trajectory from the existing railway line;
The Ring Tram, roughly following the northern side of the Brussels Ring and connecting several Brussels suburbs and Vilvoorde to the airport.
To speed up the process, testing started in August 2016 with a Ringtrambus, a bus rapid transit system developed by Belgian bus builder Van Hool, which requires less investment than a tram. The Ringtrambus started service on 28 July 2020, using fourteen 24-metre double-articulated buses. The initial half-hourly service is to be upgraded to quarter-hourly on 1 September 2020. Route 820 runs between Brussels Airport and the Brussels University Hospital in Jette, via Brucargo, the station and the centre of Vilvoorde, the Kassei neighbourhood, the employment area around the Medialaan, Strombeek and the Heysel/Heizel. This solution is presented as an in-between step until the tram line is finished.
The Airport Tram will be an extension of present Brussels tram lines 55 and 62, and will roughly follow the A201 motorway, but will need a large bridge to cross the Brussels Ring into the airport.
The present tram tracks end at the Eurocontrol headquarters, but the extension will lead from the Bourget Roundabout along the A12 into the airport. The new line will be a so-called 'high frequency' line (comparable to Brussels tram lines 7 and 8) connecting the northern part of the city with the Business zone next to the airport and the airport itself.
Construction work is ongoing and should be finished by 2031.
Bicycle[edit]
Brussels Airport has a special separated road that provides access to the airport for bikers and pedestrians. There is also a special place to park bikes. Since 2019, the airport has a direct connection from the bicycle freeway Brussels–Leuven ("Fietssnelweg F3"). In 2016, merely 1% of employees were commuting by bike. In an effort to further increase this number, bicycle leasing was introduced to employees, and in 2020 almost 10% of the Brussels Airport employees signed up for this.
Accidents and incidents
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The Boeing 747 that overran the runway in 2008
On 17 September 1946, a Sabena Douglas DC-3 went into a half roll and crashed into some hangars on takeoff because of loss of airspeed. One crewmember out of the seven occupants on board was killed.
On 15 February 1961, Sabena Flight 548, a Boeing 707, crashed during approach on runway 20, killing all 72 people on board and one on the ground. This was the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 707, resulting in the death of the entire United States Figure Skating team on its way to the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia, which the International Skating Union subsequently cancelled out of respect for the team.
On 25 May 2008, Kalitta Air Flight 207, a Boeing 747-200F, overran the shorter runway 20, crashed into a field and split in three. Four of the five people on board received minor injuries.
In September 2025, Brussels Airport was impacted in the Collins Aerospace cyberattack
On 5 November 2025, unidentified drones were seen flying near the airport, forcing a suspension of operations.
On 5 February 2026, a Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A320neo operating as SK2590 en route to Copenhagen went off the taxiway parallel to Runway 07R after attempting to takeoff from it.
