Passenger numbers at Brussels Airport reached 1 767 797 in March 2026, according to figures released on 27 April by the airport authority. The hub attributes much of the growth to a surge in connecting passengers, signalling renewed confidence among network carriers that use Brussels as a mini-hub between short-haul European routes and long-haul services to North America, Africa and Asia. Although the statement did not offer year-on-year comparisons, industry analysts note that March traffic is within 5 % of pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
![Brussels Airport logs 1.76 million passengers in March, led by transfer traffic rebound]()
For travellers passing through the Belgian capital, sorting out visa requirements early can be as important as securing a seat. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) streamlines applications for everything from short-stay Schengen visas to complex multi-country itineraries, taking the administrative strain off both individual flyers and corporate travel teams.
The performance is encouraging for airlines such as Brussels Airlines, United, Emirates and Qatar Airways, all of which depend on feeder traffic to fill wide-body jets. A healthy transfer mix also supports ancillary revenues in duty-free and food-and-beverage outlets, areas that posted double-digit growth last quarter. For international assignees and business travellers the uptick has two implications. First, load factors are tightening, making last-minute seat availability scarcer on key banking and EU-institution routes. Second, a busier transfer bank can stress baggage-handling systems—something that caused high-profile delays last summer. The airport says it is accelerating a €70 million baggage-sorter upgrade, but the project will not be fully online until 2027. Travel managers are advised to book early for peak-summer travel and to remind travellers with tight connections to use through-check services wherever possible. Companies should also watch for temporary schedule cuts if fuel-price volatility forces airlines to prune frequencies later in the year.
For travellers passing through the Belgian capital, sorting out visa requirements early can be as important as securing a seat. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) streamlines applications for everything from short-stay Schengen visas to complex multi-country itineraries, taking the administrative strain off both individual flyers and corporate travel teams.
The performance is encouraging for airlines such as Brussels Airlines, United, Emirates and Qatar Airways, all of which depend on feeder traffic to fill wide-body jets. A healthy transfer mix also supports ancillary revenues in duty-free and food-and-beverage outlets, areas that posted double-digit growth last quarter. For international assignees and business travellers the uptick has two implications. First, load factors are tightening, making last-minute seat availability scarcer on key banking and EU-institution routes. Second, a busier transfer bank can stress baggage-handling systems—something that caused high-profile delays last summer. The airport says it is accelerating a €70 million baggage-sorter upgrade, but the project will not be fully online until 2027. Travel managers are advised to book early for peak-summer travel and to remind travellers with tight connections to use through-check services wherever possible. Companies should also watch for temporary schedule cuts if fuel-price volatility forces airlines to prune frequencies later in the year.
