Reopening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

[RoMax]

I am not aware of the current procedures, but indeed with full busses arriving there and having 100% screening at one machine, you get way too long queues. I previously heard the procedure was of doing only 100% screening at time when no federal agents (or rather specifically behaviour detection officers) are present (they are the only ones allowed to determine who has to be checked and who doesn't). But as I said, don't know if that is currently indeed the procedure and how they apply it (when are BDO's present and when aren't they present?!).
Similar way of working at arrivals, but there it is fine because you never get fully loaded busses all wanting to enter at once, neither you have large luggage as it is almost solely 'meeters and greeters'.

[webstermc]

Last friday, I passed security at bus station level and I did NOT need to go through the screening. There were +/- 30 people waiting at the screening, so the police let everyone enter the building with no check.

So it is not so that everyone is checked always. Maybe the procedure must be explained again at the people on duty....

[teach]

Maybe the procedure must be explained again at the people on duty....

Or they changed the procedure after seeing what a mess it was...

[RoMax]

Maybe the procedure must be explained again at the people on duty....

Or they changed the procedure after seeing what a mess it was...

That's unlikely, unless it's an airport wide mess like the screening when the departure hall reopened, procedures don't change so rapidly when involving Fedpol/Federal Public Service Interior (and they ultimately approve or disapprove the procedures)...

[sn26567]

You thought Brussels was bad and Amsterdam wonderful? Think again!

Extra controls at Schiphol. With military brought in for assistance!

Does it ring a bell?

[Passenger]

You thought Brussels was bad and Amsterdam wonderful? Think again!

Extra controls at Schiphol. With military brought in for assistance!

Does it ring a bell?

photo Defensie.nl

The temporary extra checks that were introduced at AMS Schiphol Airport a few weeks ago, will continue. No final date has been announced. Therefore, the police at AMS Airport (= the Dutch "Koninklijke Marechaussee") will be joined by the Dutch army. Their press release suggests that these extra checks will probably last for several weeks: "ondersteuning op Schiphol gebeurt door militairen van de Luchtmobiele Brigade. Zij worden mogelijk na enkele weken afgelost door collega’s van andere defensieonderdelen.
https://www.defensie.nl/organisatie/mar ... -landmacht

[Passenger]

Stranded pax at Brussels Airport, running on the highway with their luggage? No, it's Amsterdam Schiphol Airport this morning. Reason is an un-announced extra police check on all roads to the airport, apparently for "a safety threat".

The very long queues on the A4 access road to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport are still there. This morning, the Dutch Police did something that "our guys" at BRU never do: they've fined 16 people who were running on the A4 to get their flight. Each passenger was fined with 110 €.

http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/c ... j-schiphol

Me thinks that when cars drive at 1 km/h, passengers who are running at 6 km/h are not a high risk.

[Passenger]

The temporary extra checks that were introduced at AMS Schiphol Airport a few weeks ago, will continue. No final date has been announced. Therefore, the police at AMS Airport (= the Dutch "Koninklijke Marechaussee") will be joined by the Dutch army. Their press release suggests that these extra checks will probably last for several weeks: "ondersteuning op Schiphol gebeurt door militairen van de Luchtmobiele Brigade. Zij worden mogelijk na enkele weken afgelost door collega’s van andere defensieonderdelen.
https://www.defensie.nl/organisatie/mar ... -landmacht

As from today, the Dutch army will no longer assist the Dutch police with the extra safety checks on the roads to AMS. However, the safety checks will go on and delays are expected. The police will try to limit the delays on the road and railways to half an hour.

"...Mensen die naar Schiphol reizen, met trein of auto, moeten rekening blijven houden met controles op wegen rond de luchthaven en preventieve fouilleeracties. Dat kan vertraging en files tot gevolg hebben. Het streven is dat de vertraging niet langer is dan een half uur..."
http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/c ... geschroefd

[sn26567]

You thought that arriving at the airport 3 hours before departure was outrageous? Listen to this:

Rio international airport is advising international travellers to arrive 6 hours before flights on Monday (today). Yes, 6 hours!

[sn-remember]

You thought that arriving at the airport 3 hours before departure was outrageous? Listen to this: Rio international airport is advising international travellers to arrive 6 hours before flights on Monday (today). Yes, 6 hours!

OMG André, what are you trying to sell here ? Of course 3 hrs transition time in any european class airport is outrageous ! More so when the airport is medium-sized like Bru. There are tons of examples of efficent airports out there roughly the size of BRU that very exceptionally would require more than 90 min pax transition time.
I have a hard time believing GIG has become so terribly inadequate these days, to the point of being practically inoperational as you hint... Too bad .. Really some countries should not pretend to host world class events when they obviously can't cope with the basic organisation ... Btw would you have any source ?

[Inquirer]

I suppose it's because basically everybody with name and fame is leaving Rio now that the Olympics are over? Still, 6 hours for a flight, that's just ridiculous!

[thalenoi]

I still find the place a disgrace.
Especially how to pick up an arriving passenger.
At least I found out yesterday and do know how to do it again landing at BRU again 19 sept:
Tel your pick-up to meet you before the lifts at P1 floor 3
Find your way out to the left at arrivals level, you will find first doors barricaded, cross the road, turn right towards P1, take a lift to F3, wait for your pick up whilst admiring the mess of passengers being dropped off at this Kiss&Ride facility.

Unfortunately I was missguided on the phone by the person picking me up.
Was told to go to departure level and cross street opposite Sheraton to enter P1.
Firstly seems you can not ask a lift to go up at arrivals level, there is only a push button.
So I let pass an downwards going lift until I finally got into an upwards lift which headed downwards also.
OK not a big deal, just get in, ultimately lift will go upwards.
When you get onto the street you will find a war zone, everything is barricaded with huge metal frames, you can not cross to the parking buildings.
So I tried to get through the security tents in the other direction.
It can not be done, althought there are big Exit signs.
These point to a tourniquet type of door where only one person a time can get through, not a luggage cart or any luggage.
A soldier asked me where I was heading to and was told to return to arrivals level and cross there.

OK, now I know, but when you see the departure setup and how the area is barricaded, it looks like some place in Syria.
Poor Belgium, a disgrace.

OK, One week ago taxi dropped me off at DMK T2 and passenger drop off is a mess, once you get into the hall all is fine. The not so funny thing is after checkin you need to wait a few minutes and watch your bags going through the scanner withouth being stopped, only then can you proceed to handluggage security and the gates. Many people don't know they need to wait and look at the screen waiting for their bags to show up, so that area after checkin is a bottle neck. Thus BRU is not alone having issues.

Parking at UTH airport is a disgrace also, just was lucky two weeks ago some car did not block my way out because most of the cars in the row where I parked my car were blocked by double parkers.
I have no idea what I would do finding a car blocking my exit, cutting all 4 tires won't help I guess...

Next week I'm off to LHR and YUL and back to BRU, I have first hand experience and know what to expect, no more bloody surprises, but BRU is now the saddest airport on my list.

Oct/nov I will be leaving/arriving AMS, curious how this will compare with BRU and seriousely, I am happy to have decided for an other airport than BRU, that place just feels bad.

And Yes, just last year I also went through CDG, FRA, VIE and CPH.

[Homo Aeroportus]

I still find the place a disgrace.
Especially how to pick up an arriving passenger.
At least I found out yesterday and do know how to do it again landing at BRU again 19 sept:
Tel your pick-up to meet you before the lifts at P1 floor 3
Find your way out to the left at arrivals level, you will find first doors barricaded, cross the road, turn right towards P1, take a lift to F3, wait for your pick up whilst admiring the mess of passengers being dropped off at this Kiss&Ride facility.
...

Dear Thalenoi,

I am appalled by reading what you had to endure when arriving into this war zone.
Maybe I can help you for your next mission back to BRU.

I would suggest you do not use the Departure level; its use is intended for passengers, err, departing you see.
For those arriving, well the most appropriate is to use the, err, Arrival level.

The best is for your meeting party to enter the Arrival hall, see link : ttp://www.brusselsairport.be/en/passngr/to_fr ... paxpickup/, kiss/salute you as appropriate then move out and head for the parking of your choice (the best being the one where the car is parked).

I realize that following this advice may put an end to your career of war-correspondent when visiting Brussels but it will :
1) Make your life easier
2) Pay respect to those at BRU who work hard to make things better in these difficult times.

For those two reasons I hope you will have a better experience next time you fly through BRU.

H.A.

[Passenger]

...you will find first doors barricaded... Everything is barricaded with huge metal frames, you can not cross to the parking buildings... A soldier asked me where I was heading to and was told to return to arrivals level and cross there...

It's good to read that the safety measures work and that passengers can only follow the route that Airport Security wants them to follow.

Firstly seems you can not ask a lift to go up at arrivals level, there is only a push button. So I let pass an downwards going lift until I finally got into an upwards lift which headed downwards also. OK not a big deal, just get in, ultimately lift will go upwards.

When you push the button, an arrow marks which way the first one will go. At very busy places with just a few floors, like an airport terminal, one push on the button will call two lifts: one downhill ànd one uphill. It works, but one has to look a the arrow ànd one has to push the floor button inside the lift once one is in.

So I tried to get through the security tents in the other direction. It can not be done, althought there are big Exit signs.

These big signs Exits are the Emergency Exit signs.

[lumumba]

We have to understand that the airport can't stay like that we will lose passangers to other more friendly airports....

[thalenoi]

I still find the place a disgrace.
Especially how to pick up an arriving passenger.
At least I found out yesterday and do know how to do it again landing at BRU again 19 sept:
Tel your pick-up to meet you before the lifts at P1 floor 3
Find your way out to the left at arrivals level, you will find first doors barricaded, cross the road, turn right towards P1, take a lift to F3, wait for your pick up whilst admiring the mess of passengers being dropped off at this Kiss&Ride facility.
...

Dear Thalenoi,

I am appalled by reading what you had to endure when arriving into this war zone.
Maybe I can help you for your next mission back to BRU.

I would suggest you do not use the Departure level; its use is intended for passengers, err, departing you see.
For those arriving, well the most appropriate is to use the, err, Arrival level.

The best is for your meeting party to enter the Arrival hall, see link : ttp://www.brusselsairport.be/en/passngr/to_fr ... paxpickup/, kiss/salute you as appropriate then move out and head for the parking of your choice (the best being the one where the car is parked).

I realize that following this advice may put an end to your career of war-correspondent when visiting Brussels but it will :
1) Make your life easier
2) Pay respect to those at BRU who work hard to make things better in these difficult times.

For those two reasons I hope you will have a better experience next time you fly through BRU.

H.A.

Homo Aeroportus,

Thank you for your brilliant advice.

Unfortunately the walk through BRU war zone was caused by erroneous recommendation op the person picking me up sept 02, won't happen again next BRU landing 19 sept.

It is also correct if that person wouldn't mind waiting up to 1h and paying 4 euro parking fee he could have waited for my arrival at arrivals level and walk me to the paring area, that would have spared me the ugly views of the BRU war zone.
But we were used to using the Sheraton K&R facility for both drop off's and pickups, same is true for departing but some people don't like to spend much time at airports, the risk for getting blasted away is real nowadays isn't? These are no longer tourist spots but terrorist spots...
Anyway: Brussels is now unique but I do prefer TLV in this rare category of airports.


I will depart 08 sept from BRU, get dropped off at P1L3, hope I will find a luggage cart travelling with 2 heavy bags on rollers + handbag on 2 rollers. Arriving 02sept no carts were to be seen there, one departing passengers asked nicely to hold my cart from arrivals for him before I could load my bags into the pickup car, I jokingly asked 5 BF fee, yes the BF is no more, therefore.

I will surely be asked to load my bags onto the metal detector in that marvellous pre-check tent.
If that is still a high loader I will not touch my bags and require assistance from BRU airport staff.
I also doubt any luggage carts will be available after the metal detectors to continue my walk into the departures hall, but I will update you 08sept from the BA lounge, guessing availability of wifi (I do have access to telenet hotspots)

Just a side note: at BKK and DMK arrivals it is a piece of cake to take a lift to departure level to catch a taxi dropping off passengers avoiding the long waiting lane (usually 30 minutes at DMK where you need to take a number from a machine and relax half an hour in the waiting area until your number is called)
02sept at BRU both arrivals and departure levels no taxis were to be seen, I guess for a reason? Being a war zone?

[lumumba]

I don't now where to put this but the Brussels airlines lounge is to crowdy...
It's terrible no seats no food...it's a flea market not a lounge!

[brusselsairlinesfan]

I don't now where to put this but the Brussels airlines lounge is to crowdy...
It's terrible no seats no food...it's a flea market not a lounge!

Which lounge are you talking about : The Suite or The Loft?!

[lumumba]

The Loft at pier A.

[Boavida]

Just wondering: is Brussels Airlines planning to reopen a new ticketing desk at the departures hall? Because today, they're practically invisible at the airport! A bit strange for a home carrier. You really have to search for their tiny ticketing desk (all the way in the back).