The last week in June traditionally sees the start of the holiday exodus at Brussels Airport. Among the peak days are Friday 26 June, Monday 29 June and Wednesday 1 July, with 45,000 and 44,000 departing passengers expected in that order.
On average, these figures are up by 4.5% on last year. The figures show that Belgians no longer traditionally depart at the weekend, on Friday or Sunday, but – with 1 July falling in the middle of the week -, a particularly large volume of passengers will be leaving on their holidays in the middle of the week.
Below is an overview of the estimated numbers of departing passengers for the coming days:
Thursday 25 June 42,000
Friday 26 June 45,000
Saturday 27 June 36,000
Sunday 28 June 42,000
Monday 29 June 44,000
Tuesday 30 June 41,000
Wednesday 1 July 44,000
Thursday 2 July 43,000
Friday 3 July 42,000
Saturday 4 July 36,000
Sunday 5 July 43,000
Smooth departures
Every year, Brussels Airport puts in place a string of measures to make sure the summer exodus runs as smoothly as possible. In view of the rising volume of passengers, the airport is launching a large-scale awareness campaign in order to ensure the smooth flow of road traffic to the terminal.
Signage on the access road has been restyled with colour codes to show passengers the right way. This summer, if you are coming to pick someone up, or want to accompany someone to the departure hall, you can park your car for up to 30 minutes at car parks P1 or P2 for just 1 euro. Follow the green route for this.
Further information on this campaign is available at www.brusselsairport.be/en/followtheguide/ .
Brussels Airport also keeps passengers informed via social media and its website. Throughout the summer, passengers will be able to consult the expected rush for the coming days, which will help them to correctly estimate how busy it will be on the day of their departure.
Brussels Airport will also deploy extra personnel to assist passengers with information. Thanks to the new screening platform in Connector, there will also be a smoother throughput from check-in to the gate.
Belgians seek the sun
Spain is still the number one destination for Belgians. So much so that the three major airline companies at Brussels Airport, i.e. Brussels Airlines, JetairFly and Thomas Cook, are even seeing a rise in the volume of passengers headed for the Spanish destinations. Croatia, France, Greece, Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia and Italy are also popular destinations.
One notable trend sees an increasing number of Belgians jetting off to long-haul destinations for their holidays. Saint-Petersburg, Dakar, Miami, Washington and several destinations in Thailand for instance are increasingly popular.
Six tips for a smooth departure
- Get to the airport well ahead
Brussels Airport advises passengers to get to the airport well ahead of their scheduled departure time. It is best to come to the airport two hours prior to departure for European flights, and three hours for transatlantic flights. - If possible, come by public transport
On busy departure days, heavy traffic is expected on the roads to the airport. It is therefore advisable to take public transport as much as possible. The train and bus station could not be closer: a couple of floors underneath below the departures hall.
http://www.brusselsairport.be/en/passngr/to_from_brussels_airport/train/
http://www.brusselsairport.be/en/passngr/to_from_brussels_airport/bus/ - Making your way to the airport by car? Leave on time and book your parking space
Still want to come by car? Then leave in plenty of time and avoid the stress and nuisance of getting stuck in traffic. Book your parking space in advance.Coming to drop someone off or pick them up? Then take advantage of the 30 minutes’ parking promotion which is valid all summer: www.brusselsairport.be/en/followtheguide - Check in online
Online check-in saves a lot of time and is available as from 24 hours ahead of the flight’s scheduled departure time or as specified by your airline. In this case, baggage can be handed in at your airline’s ‘Baggage drop-off’ desk. - Do not forget your travel documents
Do not forget to bring your identity card or passport. Children under the age of 12 years need a children’s ID or passport in order to be allowed to travel by plane. - Prepare your baggage for the security check
Do not take any sharp or pointed items in your hand baggage, and place any liquids in your hold baggage. Do you still need to take liquids or gels in your hand baggage? Make sure you comply with the legal guidelines: pack them in bottles or tubes with a maximum 100 ml capacity and put them together in a transparent resealable plastic bag with a capacity of maximum 1 litre.
Exception: baby food and liquid medicines accompanied by a doctor’s certificate.Laptops and tablets should be separately submitted for screening. Coins, keys, wallets, mobile phones, watches and belts should be placed in a separate tray.
June 22, 2015
