Brussels Airport[a] (IATA:BRU,ICAO:EBBR) is the maininternational airport ofBelgium. It is located in the municipality ofZaventem inFlemish Brabant, 12kilometres (7.5 mi) northeast[2] ofBrussels. Also informally known asBrussels-National Airport[b] orBrussels-Zaventem Airport,[c] Brussels Airport handled more than 26 million passengers in 2019, making it the26th-busiest airport inEurope. It is home to around 260 companies, together directly employing 20,000 people and serves as the home base forBrussels Airlines andTUI fly Belgium. BRU covers 1,245 hectares (3,076 acres) and contains three runways.[3]
The company operating the airport is known as The Brussels Airport Company N.V./S.A.; before 19 October 2006, the name was BIAC (Brussels International Airport Company), which was created by Belgian law through a merger of BATC with the ground operations departments of the RLW/RVA. The airport is owned primarily by theFlemish andBelgian government, who own 39% and 25% respectively.[4] The other 36% is owned byMacquarie Group (Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund I and Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund III).[5]
On 22 March 2016, the airport's departures hall was severely damaged bytwo 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.[6] It has since returned to full operations, with a record of 90,000 passengers on 29 July 2016.[7]
The origins of Brussels Airport at Zaventem date back to 1940, when theGerman occupying force claimed 600 ha (1,500 acres) of agricultural fields reserved as a back-up airfield ("Steenokkerzeel"). There theLuftwaffe establishedFliegerhorst Melsbroek and constructed threerunways 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 anurban 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 forExpo 58 (pictured in 1974)
After the liberation on 3 September 1944, the German infrastructure at Melsbroek fell into the hands of the British. When theold civilian airport inHaren became too small, the Belgian authorities decided to use the aerodrome at Melsbroek for the new national airport. By 1948, a newterminal 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 byPrince Charles, Count of Flanders, theprince 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 byKing 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, theBelgian 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 theBelgian Air Force (15th Air Transport Wing), and this is still known as Melsbroek Airfield. BothZaventem Airport andMelsbroek Air Base, the military airfield, share the same runways.[8][9]
During the boom of commercial aviation in the 1960s and 1970s, several hangars were constructed. A newcargo 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 airlineSabena, a new pier was opened.
In 2005, the airport was awarded Best Airport in Europe byAirports 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 withLeuven andLiège 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.[10]
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 ofFlanders and the Brussels Capital Region concerning night-time air traffic routes.
In March 2009, the old mechanicalFlight information display systems were replaced by electronic ones.[11] 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 andUS Airways) at Brussels Airport. In February 2010 Arnaud Feist was appointed CEO. The Chairman of the Board isMarc Descheemaecker [nl].
On 18 February 2013, in the2013 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 aHelvetic AirwaysFokker 100 passenger plane loaded with passengers preparing for departure toZürich. 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 aBrink's armored van fromAntwerp. They carried out the operation within five minutes with no injuries and without firing a shot.[12][13][14]
On 22 March 2016, two explosions took place in Brussels Airport at 07:58 local time. One occurred near theAmerican Airlines andBrussels Airlines check-in desks and the other next to aStarbucks 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.[6] Flights bound to Brussels Airport were either canceled or diverted to nearby airports such asBrussels South Charleroi Airport,Ostend–Bruges International Airport, andSchiphol. At 09:11CET, an explosion took place atMaelbeek/Maalbeek metro station.ISIL claimed responsibility for the attacks as an act of revenge againstBelgium for participation in the ongoingMilitary intervention against ISIL.[15]
Terminal exteriorDepartures area at Pier ARunway and apronControl 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. Therailway 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).[16]
The newest pier in Brussels airport was pier A, opened on 15 May 2002. This pier was destined to support flights from and to theSchengen countries (A-gates). However, since 15 October 2008 allBrussels 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,[17] 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 essense 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 is the oldest pier still in use at Brussels Airport and is only used for flights outside theSchengen 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 thebaggage claim area.
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.[18]
Just as is the case for Pier A West, the construction of a newlow-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 includingRyanair andWizz Air fly toBrussels-South Charleroi Airport, 40 km (25 mi) away from Brussels.[19] In autumn 2013, low-cost carrierPegasus Airlines announced it would end its flights between Brussels Airport andTurkey. The service between Brussels andIstanbul–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.[20] 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,[21] although Brussels-South Charleroi Airport will remain the low-cost carrier's primary Belgian base.
Drinking water fountains are found all over the airport. After security check-in, water bottles are available for a small fee.[22]
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 (forCatholics,Jews,Muslims,Orthodox Christians andProtestants), as well as a place for meditation forhumanists.[23] The airport provides meeting facilities and can host congresses up to 600 participants, either in the Regus Skyport Meeting Center or in theSheraton 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.[24][25][26]
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 inDiegem,Machelen.[27][28]European Air Transport had its head office in Building 4–5, inZaventem.[29] BeforeSabena went out of business, its head office was in the Sabena House on the grounds of Brussels Airport.[30] When it existed,Virgin Express had its head office in Building 116 in Zaventem.[31]SN Brussels, which formed in 2002, had its head office in Airport Building 117 in Zaventem when it existed.[32] Prior to its disestablishment,Sobelair had its head office in Building 45 in Zaventem.[33][34]CityBird was based in building 117D.[35] The cargo airlineCargo B Airlines had its head office in the Brucarco Building 706 in Zaventem.[36]
The relapse in 2001 and 2002 is due to the combined effects of theSeptember 11 attacks and the collapse of then home carrierSabena in the final quarter of 2001.
The cargo relapse in 2008 and 2009 is due to the combined effects of the2008 financial crisis, also affecting passenger volumes in 2009, and the relocation ofDHL Aviation toLeipzig/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 the2016 Brussels bombings which caused the airport to close for 11 days before reopening with severely reduced capacity.
Brussels Airport can be reached by car via the A201, which is directly connected to theBrussels Ring (R0) orbital motorway. From there, the mainmotorways 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-servicefilling station near the exit of the airport complex.
Brussels Airport is accessible by car via the A201, which connects directly to theBrussels Ring (R0) orbital motorway. From there, the mainmotorways 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-servicefilling station near the exit of the airport complex.
Several car rental services are located in the airport, includingEuropcar,Hertz,Sixt, andThrifty.DriveNow offers a car-sharing service at Brussels Airport located at P3 Holiday Parking,[220] and Zipcar has parking spaces.[221] Taxi2Share provides a shared cab service from the airport.
A direct train link with Leuven was opened on 12 December 2005. A direct link withAntwerp andMechelen via the so-calledDiabolo line was opened for public service on 10 June 2012. The Diabolo project is apublic-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 betweenBruges and the airport will be offered,[224] just as an Intercity service toSchiphol andAmsterdam.[225]
In an attempt to alleviate the gridlock around Brussels, the Flemish regional transport companyDe Lijn started the Brabantnet project, which was then scheduled to be finished by 2020.[231]Three new light rail lines will be created, of which 2 will terminate at Brussels Airport:
The Airport Tram, connecting Brussels Airport toBrussels-North railway station, but taking a different trajectory from the existing railway line;
The Ring Tram, roughly following the northern side of theBrussels Ring and connecting several Brussels suburbs and Vilvoorde to the airport.
To speed up the process, testing started in August 2016 with aRingtrambus, a bus rapid transit system developed by Belgian bus builderVan Hool, which requires less investment than a tram.[232] TheRingtrambus 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.[233] Route 820 runs between Brussels Airport and the Brussels University Hospital inJette, via Brucargo, the station and the centre of Vilvoorde, the Kassei neighbourhood, the employment area around the Medialaan, Strombeek and theHeysel/Heizel. This solution is presented as an in-between step until the tram line is finished.[234]
The Airport Tram will be an extension of present Brussels tram lines55 and 62,[235] and will roughly follow theA201 motorway, but will need a large bridge to cross theBrussels Ring into the airport.[236][237]The present tram tracks end at theEurocontrol 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 lines7 and 8) connecting the northern part of the city with the Business zone next to the airport and the airport itself.[238]Construction work is ongoing and should be finished by 2031.[239]
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 thebicycle freewayBrussels–Leuven ("Fietssnelweg F3").[240] In 2016, merely 1% of employees were commuting by bike.[241] 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.[242]
On 17 September 1946, aSabenaDouglas 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.[243]
On 25 May 2008,Kalitta Air Flight 207, aBoeing 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.[245]
^"Can I park a Zipcar at the airport? - Zipcar". www.zipcar.be. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
^"Airport line - STIB - MIVB". STIB/MIVB. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
^"New collaboration between Brussels Airport and Flibco.com will connect the airport with 11 major cities in Belgium and across the border". Brussels Airport. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
