Brussels Airport will deepen its intercontinental reach this year with two eye-catching route launches announced on 3 February by regional news agency BRU. Flag-carrier Air China is to return to Zaventem in March 2026 with four-weekly flights to Beijing-Capital and thrice-weekly services to Chengdu—re-establishing direct links that disappeared during the pandemic. In June, Latin American giant LATAM will inaugurate a three-times-weekly Brussels–São Paulo service, giving Belgium its first non-stop passenger connection to South America.
The announcements came in an upbeat airport update that also revealed staff handled more than 32,000 lost-property items in 2025, returning 23 percent to their owners and donating unclaimed goods to charity. Management frames the new routes as part of a strategy to position Brussels as “Europe’s most convenient transfer hub for secondary capitals,” leveraging a compact terminal layout and growing Star Alliance presence.
![Brussels Airport Adds Beijing, Chengdu and São Paulo to Growing Long-Haul Network]()
Before travellers rush to book these new Chinese and Brazilian services, VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork: its Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets passengers arrange visas for Beijing, Chengdu, São Paulo and dozens of other destinations through a single online dashboard, complete with document pickup, real-time tracking and customer support—handy for both corporate travel managers and holidaymakers.
For multinationals headquartered in Belgium, the additions close critical gaps. China is Belgium’s sixth-largest trading partner, yet executives have faced multi-stop itineraries since Hainan Airlines suspended Brussels-Beijing in 2022. Direct Chengdu flights will benefit the life-sciences cluster around Leuven, where several companies source APIs from Sichuan. Meanwhile, the São Paulo link shortens door-to-door transit for the chemical and brewing sectors, both active in Brazil. LATAM says freight capacity on the Boeing 787-9 will open a “fresh lane” for pharma exports into South America’s biggest market.
Travel programmes should re-price Asia-Pacific and Latin-America itineraries once schedules are filed; early indications suggest competitive introductory fares. The new flights also intensify competition for Brussels Airlines, which relies heavily on feeder traffic—something the Lufthansa subsidiary may offset by codesharing. With Hub 3.0 terminal expansion works commencing later this year, the airport’s long-haul push shows no sign of slowing.
The announcements came in an upbeat airport update that also revealed staff handled more than 32,000 lost-property items in 2025, returning 23 percent to their owners and donating unclaimed goods to charity. Management frames the new routes as part of a strategy to position Brussels as “Europe’s most convenient transfer hub for secondary capitals,” leveraging a compact terminal layout and growing Star Alliance presence.
Before travellers rush to book these new Chinese and Brazilian services, VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork: its Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets passengers arrange visas for Beijing, Chengdu, São Paulo and dozens of other destinations through a single online dashboard, complete with document pickup, real-time tracking and customer support—handy for both corporate travel managers and holidaymakers.
For multinationals headquartered in Belgium, the additions close critical gaps. China is Belgium’s sixth-largest trading partner, yet executives have faced multi-stop itineraries since Hainan Airlines suspended Brussels-Beijing in 2022. Direct Chengdu flights will benefit the life-sciences cluster around Leuven, where several companies source APIs from Sichuan. Meanwhile, the São Paulo link shortens door-to-door transit for the chemical and brewing sectors, both active in Brazil. LATAM says freight capacity on the Boeing 787-9 will open a “fresh lane” for pharma exports into South America’s biggest market.
Travel programmes should re-price Asia-Pacific and Latin-America itineraries once schedules are filed; early indications suggest competitive introductory fares. The new flights also intensify competition for Brussels Airlines, which relies heavily on feeder traffic—something the Lufthansa subsidiary may offset by codesharing. With Hub 3.0 terminal expansion works commencing later this year, the airport’s long-haul push shows no sign of slowing.
