Sustained passenger growth on scheduled flights

Brussels Airport, 20 December 2005

In November 2005 the number of departing passengers on scheduled flights outside the European Union was 13.1% up on November 2004. This growth was driven by the launch of Etihad services to Toronto and Abu Dhabi. The number of passengers on intra-EU flights was 4.3% higher than pcp. Charter traffic decreased by 13.6% in November, mainly due to reductions in charters to typical winter holiday destinations that were hit by the tsunami and to the Red Sea resorts.

In total, about 1.2 million passengers used Brussels Airport in November 2005, an increase by 3.3 % on the same month of last year.

The cargo volume carried totalled to 61,458 tonnes, an increase by 2.6% on pcp.

With a total of 20,298 the number of movements (landings and takeoffs) remained stable (-0.4%) compared to same month last year. The combination of a growth in passenger numbers and cargo, and a stable number of aircraft movements, illustrates a higher ratio of passengers and freight per flight.

Since end October, Etihad operates three weekly flights from Brussels to Toronto and three flights per week to Abu Dhabi. This is the first scheduled flight from Brussels to the United Arab Emirates. Since 1 November Eastern Airways operates two daily flights to Southampton, from Monday to Friday.

Vueling has added a daily flight to Madrid from 15 December. Thomas Cook resumed direct flights to Thailand and Sri Lanka on 18 December, after an interruption due to the tsunami. As from the Christmas holidays Jetairfly will operate a weekly flight to winter sports destination Chambéry in the French Alps.

For the summer schedule 2006 starting on 27 March, Sky Europe will provide four flights per week to Krakow and Air Wales will provide two daily flights to Cardiff. SNBA announced direct flights to Dubrovnik twice weekly as from May, and two weekly flights to Genoa during the summer months of July and August.


Timetables for all scheduled flights from Brussels are regularly updated on the airport's website: www.brusselsairport.be