Schiphol and Eindhoven take advantage of the chaos in Zaventem. Since the attacks, the number of rebookings has increased sharply at Brussels Airport.
According to figures from Travix, the largest Dutch online travel agency, known by among others Vliegwinkel.nl and CheapTickets, which was interviewed by BNR. Zaventem lost 6 percent market share compared to the same month last year, says Annick Van Dyck of Travix. In April there was a decline of 13.5 per cent, which is clearly linked to the Brussels, she says. The number of Travix bookings from Schiphol doubled in May, at Eindhoven Airport this was even tripled.
“The advice is to arrive three hours before leaving for the airport, but not too early before that.”
In addition to Schiphol and Eindhoven, the airports of Charleroi and Dusseldorf seem to benefit particularly, as Van Dyck expects Zaventem will eventually regain ground. “We expect that confidence in Brussels Airport will work out all right, but this has a short-term impact, and certainly also for the high season in July and August. In the beginning it was waiting for the procedures of airlines, but they have now got their affairs in order and people are properly informed. ”
Eindhoven Airport made it known to BNR that it does not immediately see a return of the growth in passenger numbers. “This week there is an above average pressure at the airport in connection with the May holiday. As a result we can hardly estimate whether these additional passengers would otherwise have flown from Zaventem. Many people booked last week a last-minute holiday due to bad weather.” Next week, the airport hopes to be able to provide more information on the trend.
The Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon and police unions had an agreement on security checks at Zaventem yesterday afternoon. To avoid long queues, the Belgian police will from today proceed only with random security checks at Brussels Airport, instead of screening every traveller in the white tents prior to the entrance of the airport, according to Belgian newspaper De Morgen.
Source: BNR
